Angelus
by TwilightAlien
Summary: When difficult circumstances push Sesshomaru to make a serie of unlikely choices, he discovers a mysterious creature that could bring deep changes to his life, his world, and even his very soul.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

This story (and an infinity of variations on the same theme) has been with me for years now, first in my head, then when I took all the storage space available inside it I put it on paper. This story is me; it is mine, except for all the characters and scenes that belong to the genius mind of Rumiko Takahashi and the Alien saga. Without them you and me wouldn't be here, reading or writing all this fantasy work, but the original characters and situations described here are my own. Especially the dark-skinned one…

This story is some sort of a crossover, since I used many parts of the Alien movies to build the main original character as well as some of the events. However, the action happens in the Inuyasha realm, just about the end of the anime, and it kinda follows the storyline of the manga. So be warned if you haven't read the manga, there will be spoilers. There will be love, there will be lemons, probably highly unexpected ones, but I like to take my time both in life and in my fantasies lol

All reviews are very highly welcome, even polite negative ones. This story is already tightly woven and half way done with hundreds of thousands of words so if there are needs for changes I need to know it right away to make the corrections... So here it comes, I hope you enjoy it!

**Angelus**

Under the morning sun an unusual scene was unravelling. A dog taiyoukai known by the name of Sesshomaru was flying toward the south on a cloud of youki, a small kappa stuck to his long fur pelt like his life depended on it. In fact it did, for they were flying high and fast, and the small water youkai sported no wings. A two-headed dragon steed was following them closely, his saddle empty. The strangest element of the scene was the presence of a young, seven or eight years old human girl, curled in the sole arm of the said youkai, shivering, sweating and breathing with great difficulties.

Sesshomaru was angry, and worried. Angry to be worried by this human child. Angry against himself for not being able to detect the first signs of her disease. Doubly angry against himself in fact for not being able to alleviate her discomfort once he noticed the problem. And angry against his half sibling's miko, who could do nothing for the child.

He lowered himself to speak to her two days earlier, after knocking his half-brother out of consciousness. The hanyou, brash as always, attacked the taiyoukai before asking for the reason of his presence. Kill first, ask questions later was his philosophy. He was unlucky that day though, as Sesshomaru was not in the mood for a long mock-fight, but things turned out for the better when Kagome "sat" him just before he got hit square on the head by his older brother's fist, lessening the impact on his thick skull and rendering him unconscious instead of… dead.

The young miko recognized the signs of sickness upon Rin's exhausted face, unstable posture on her steed's saddle, coughing and very laboured breathing and went directly to her, not waiting for explanations or demands from the taiyoukai who brought the child. For that, he was grateful, as asking for help was not something he was used to. Instead he found himself under a blitz of questions: for how long was it going on? Was she in a fever at times? Did she loose weight? Did she spit out blood when she coughed?

Indeed she spit out blood when she coughed, that was the first sign that made him worry, the first time that the stench of internal illness reached his nose. He had seen humans coughing out blood, he had smelled this foul odour before, and it was never a good sign. For the last weeks the child had also been progressively loosing weight, despite her being very proficient at finding her own food. He went so low as to hunt for her and make Jaken cook her meat when she became even weaker, but it never made her any better. She now looked like a tiny skeleton, much the same way she looked two years ago when she started following him. And shivering of fever she did, mostly at night, but now it also happened in daytime.

Kagome seemed shocked by his revelations, and instead of giving him instructions and maybe handing him some herbs or remedies, she started to spout strange words. "Tuberculosis" she said, "hospitalization", "fluid therapy", "sanatorium", "intensive care unit" and something like "antibiotics". The more words she said, the more defeated she sounded. He understood way before she said the words "incurable" and "fatal disease" that his ward's days were numbered. For good. He was gone before the miko realized it, the child in his embrace.

So there he was, angry and worried, attempting something he never thought he would have to do. Maybe he should let nature take its course, after all he always had Tenseiga at his side if the worse happened. But then, the sword had a mind of its own, deciding who would be revived and who would not despite his own desires, and he would not let a sword decide about the life or death of his ward. He descended slowly, as the child in his arm was growing weaker every minute that passed, and landed in the mountains in front of an old, worn-out shrine. A group of monks was waiting for his arrival, having sensed him moments before, but when they saw the child their animosity and fear lessened, replaced by genuine concern.

Without uttering a word they led Sesshomaru through the shrine to a cave descending deep into the mountains. As they started their descent, memories of his younger days came back to his mind.

Hundreds of years ago, when he was but a mere pup just starting to have control over his youkai heritage, his father brought him here, in this very same cave. The monks were absent though, as was the shrine and the steps, but the cave that led to the heart of the mountain was there, slippery, with a very low ceiling and difficult to navigate but present nonetheless. Accompanying them was a terrible snake bandit who plagued the western lands with his crimes for years before being caught and poisoned by the Dog General. The creature, carried within one of his Father's pelts, was on the verge of dying but he could hear its rasped breathing and the erratic beating of its heart.

They descended for what seemed like hours in his young mind, using their highly trained senses to distinguish their way. Soon a luminescent moss started to bring life to the damp, cold place and a terrible scent of rotting carcasses and unnamed things came to their sensible nose, making the young Sesshomaru falter in his steps. Steadied by his strong father's grip on his shoulder, the youkai child fought against his instincts to flee and continued forward.

Moments later they came at a stop before a most intriguing sight. They ended up in a large oval room, surrounded by stone pillars in between which many secondary, smaller tunnels were departing, going even deeper into the earth. Lying on a large stone pedestal in the center of the room was a small cocoon, about 5 feet long and 3 large, made of a leather like, dark grey substance with pink accents. Slow and deep pulsations came from the cocoon every once in a while, as if it were alive or longing to be alive. Large black tendrils spurted out of the cocoon base, attaching it firmly to the stone, and a pattern similar to a ribcage was visible all along the surface of the cocoon. A deep greenish fog covered the floor of the cave up to knee height, his father's knees, almost hiding the view of the forms scattered across the place. Surrounding the pedestal, clawing at the multiple stone columns as if they wanted to go away from the cocoon with all their might, were cadavers. About twelve of them, humans and youkai, a few in a relatively early stage of decaying, covered in disgusting fluids, moss and insects larvae, and most others reduced to dusty skeletons. In this ghastly place his father spoke to him.

"Son, here lays a secret that you might need to use in your future years, although I sincerely hope you do not have to. This cocoon has the property to heal any living being it comes in contact with. If someday, someone you protect falls victim to an illness or great battle injuries, bring him here and lay him on the stone against the cocoon. If its heart is pure, this person will be healed."

Centuries later the pup had come back, now a taiyoukai, fullfilling the prophecy of his father. Under his eyes the mossy walls glittered under the monk's blowtorches, as they finally reached the final chamber. The decaying corpses were no more, replaced by golden ornaments, burning incense and holy sutras that adorned the stone columns. Their scent though lingered heavily in the room and the green fog, the cocoon and the claw marks on the columns were still there, announcing the presence of a much darker mystery than what the religious decorations implied.

Before stepping in the chamber, Sesshomaru came to a stop. The monk who walked directly in front of him turned to face him, his years showing through his wrinkled face and hunched posture. He was afraid of him, but not as much as his companions; maybe really old creatures came to welcome death as a liberation rather than something to be terrified of. As he was going to circle the monk and deposit his ward on the pedestal, the raucous voice of the old man reached his ears and made him pause.

"Youkai-sama, this humble monk wants to make sure that in your great wisdom, you are aware of the terrible punishment inflicted on the impure hearts by the cocoon. Rare are the ones granted health and life by it, be they human or youkai, child or adult. This monk does not wish to be impertinent or to provoke your ire, but this child's pain is nothing compared to what she would be subjected to if the cocoon happened to reject her. There are worse ways to die than what she is going through, and maybe she should be allowed to go in peace."

Sesshomaru's first reflex was to behead the insulting monk, but strangely he did not. Instead he remembered the sight that frightened him to his very core when he was a pup, the tortured bodies that were scattered around the room, as far as possible from the cocoon. He remembered when his father unravelled the bandit's body from his furs and put him on the pedestal beside the cocoon, taking utmost care not to touch the weird object. His memories flooded his mind and clouded his sight now, and the exact moment when the hand of the bandit came into contact with the cocoon came alive before him, superimposed on reality. At this moment the speed and strenght of the pulsation coming from the cocoon grew tenfold and fine black tendrils spurted out of the object, piercing the youkai's skin over his neck and penetrating deep into the muscles. The terrible scream of the snake still echoed in his mind, the way he awakened suddenly to life and stumbled hastily down the pedestal, the tendrils still attached to him. He remembered vividly the terrified face of the bandit as this wretched youkai dared to cling to his pants, life being quickly sucked out of his veins with each pulsation of the cocoon, his scaled skin turning a sickly greenish grey, bodily fluids flowing out of his bowels and bladder as his body convulsed on the floor, his eyes showing nothing but terror, pain and agony. He recalled how terrified he himself was, when his mighty father had to pry the hand of the now dead youkai from the pants of his pup, finger by finger, breaking the small bones in the process. His mind replayed the pensive and sad look his father gave him before speaking once again

"If his heart is pure, this person will be healed. Only if his heart is pure, my son."

Looking at the small shivering girl in his arm, he decided that this fate would not be brought upon her, for she had the purest heart. He advanced to the pedestal and settled her on the stone plate. Holding his breath without realizing it, he took her little hand and put it in contact with the cocoon.

Nothing happened.

Behind him, the group of monks silently dispersed around the room, sitting with their backs to the columns, and started praying to the Kamis, celebrating their glory and mercy. He couldn't detach his attention from the child until the eldest of the monks called to him, announcing that the girl should be left healing in peace, that the process could take as much as days before being completed. He made no sign that he heard him, and stayed standing firm, his sight never wavering from the immobile scene before him, his face never giving away what thought was occuring in his mind. Resigned, the eldest sat down with the others, letting him stay with Rin and listen to the chants and incantations that resonated through the room.

Before his unblinking eyes, small changes were making their way on his ward's face. As hours passed, then days, her skin lost the color of death and slowly regained a more lively pinkish tone. The shivers became less frequent, then stopped. The sweating also receded, and her harsh breathing became less labored, more healthy. As the third day passed, she began to sleep soundly, recovering from her illness under the chants of the monks. When her hand fell from the cocoon on the morning of the fourth day, he came by her side and saw her eyes opening slowly, meeting with his own golden orbs.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she said softly, a smile adorning her young face.

He nodded and helped her to her feet, upon which she stood firmly. His ward was healed. The monks, in pure bliss, increased the strength of their vocalizations to celebrate the glory of the Kamis who created the cocoon. Their celebration would last for hours.

As they started to climb the stairs together, a movement behind a pillar caught his eyes. The sound of a chain reached his ears and as he turned around, a sickle made of whitish bone embedded itself into the cocoon, tearing it apart in a flow of pink liquid. A sense of immense danger chilled the taiyoukai to the bone, as a hiss was heard coming from the cocoon, quickly morphing into a full-blown scream. Obeying his instincts, Sesshomaru leapt forward as fast as he could with his ward under his arm, reaching the surface in mere seconds. Behind him, he felt a powerful heat wave that was engulfing itself in the staircase, as if racing to reach him. The scream from the cocoon did not falter, and soon was joined by the tortured voices of the agonizing monks.

At the shrine atop the stairs, Ah-Un was poised in a battle stance, his muzzles removed and Jaken sitted on his back, his Staff of Two Heads ready to serve. Sesshomaru was hesitating between staying and leaving; no one would force him to flee when it was not what he wanted. But a look at the young Rin's healthy face helped him to take his decision.

Just as he was getting ready to take flight with his ward in his embrace, Sesshomaru felt his sword Tenseiga pulse strongly against his hip. He decided not to care about it as no sword would rule over his decisions, but each step he took further from the cave increased the strength of the sword's pulsations, until he could no longer ignore its call. Sighing mentally, he reached for Ah-Un and put Rin in the saddle with his retainer. The young girl, apparently more lively than ever despite her weakened muscles, took hold of the reins and gripped the saddle between her small thighs, used to this transportation mode.

"Jaken. You will find a safe haven where this Sesshomaru will join you later. Protect her with your life."

The small kappa froze, his beak wide open, and started to blabber objections when a rock hit him square in the chest, almost making him fall from the steed's saddle. Steadying himself, he lost no more time wondering at his master's behavior. The taiyoukai had always been a mystery, and no little kappa such as him could ever dream of understanding his motivations. He would do his best not to receive any other stray rock, and would rant endlessly about the whole situation later on, when his master couldn't hear him…

Sesshomaru reluctantly began his descent into the cave, following the lead of the Tenseiga, livelier than ever. As each step drew him closer to the source of his uneasiness, his mind processed what happened. Hidden from his senses by the pungent smells of the cave, the sickle user had crept from one of the multiple secondary entrances leading to the cave and his attack opened up the cocoon, for what purpose Sesshomaru couldn't fathom.

When he reached the cocoon room, Sesshomaru put his hand on the Tenseiga's hilt, trying to still the strong pulses that went through his healing blade. The monks and decorations were reduced to mere ashes, the stone pillars blackened by the strength of the fire that engulfed the room, and the green fog was gone. A single glance at the cadavers was sufficient to confirm that the monks were not the ones Tenseiga was interested in; no pall bearers of the afterlife appeared when he looked at them.

He stepped forward and his booted feet came into contact with a small puddle of pink liquid that oozed from the cocoon. His gaze studied the now opened structure and he saw that a different liquid, thicker and yellowish, was slowly mixing with the pink one. Where it touched the stone pedestal it burned it, leaving behind an acrid smoke and a hole that ate its way through the stone. His eyes caught the whole scene in a flash, and the next moment he was standing next to the opened cocoon, peering into it. His sword calmed down and returned to its dormant stage as he was studying what had laid hidden in the cocoon for so many centuries.

The sight that caught his eyes was not what he was expecting, if he expected something at all. Curled in foetal position was a singular creature, female by her attributes, but what species of youkai he could not determine. Maybe some sort of scorpion, but something was off.

Her whole body was a velvety black, with a very long, skeletal tail curled around her lithe form and four curved scythe-like structures erupting from her back, two along each shoulder plate. Her head, devoid of any hairs, was a more shiny black than the rest of her body and her skull was elongated, almost cylindrical, ending a good twelve inches away from her nape; high cheekbones and a voluntary nose and chin adorned her feminine face. Her suffering was very obvious on her features though, and he saw that a large wound was opened on her right flank, where the blade of the chain sickle caught her flesh. The yellow acidic liquid that was eating at the stone pedestal was oozing from her wound and the steady flow was now slowing as it reached exhaustion.

As he came closer, the creature opened her eyes. She had singular eyes with a black sclera, slitted black pupils and yellow irises. When she looked at him, surprise overcame the pain in her features.

"Angelus" she whispered. "Kill… me…" she added before passing out.

Sesshomaru would have been pleased to obey her plea, but as he reached for his Tokijin, Tenseiga stopped him with a very strong pulse; the sword was clearly rebelling against the slaughter of the creature. Irritated even though it did not show on his calm features, the taiyoukai tried to ignore the sword's plea but as his hand gripped the hilt of his battle blade, another pulse stopped his movement, almost paralysing him on the spot. He silently cursed against his father's strenght, a strenght that he did not hesitate to transfer into the swords that were forged from his fangs, and he turned once again toward the girl in the cocoon, his killing intent gone and replaced by supreme irritation.

During his short fight against Tenseiga, the healing of the wound on her flank had made clear progress, as was expected of a youkai; it was now reduced to a superficial gap in her skin where yellowish flesh finished to mend itself. He decided to extract her body from the cocoon and see what would happen. Doing this without being burned by the acid was a feat in itself, but adding the lack of an arm in the equation complicated the act to no end. Almost sighing, he directed his youki through his fur pelt and plunged it in the pungent pink liquid, enveloping the female in it; he carefully left her closing wound exposed so the acid could flow away from him if it opened again.

He carefully climbed the tunnel once again, much slower than the first time, but as he walked to the surface he kept an eye rained on the cut. No more acid was produced, and only the traces that lingered on her skin were a problem. At the shrine, he paused for an instant, smelling the air to find traces of his retainer and ward scent, when another, much unwanted scent hit his nose.

"Yo. Long time no see"

He didn't answer back, looking at the newcomer only from the corner of an eye. The wind witch was seated on a feather, flying at least thirty feet up in the air, surrounded by a group of hell bees. A young human boy, his eyes bland pools of nothingness, was sitting cross-legged before her.

"I see you are as talkative as ever, "my Lord"" Kagura said with an arrogant tone.

"What is your business here?"

"Oh, and as always the perfect gentleman. I am merely taking back Naraku's possessions", she said, pointing toward Kohaku. "And that would include the dirty thing you are now carrying around, Sesshomaru-sama. Naraku wants her alive, so I came to free you from her disgusting presence".

Sesshomaru looked at her dispassionately, as if what she said did not concern him in the slightest. As she made a move to come down to him, he answered:

"Alive?" Although his face did not show it, his voice carried a trace of sarcasm. The witch looked at Kohaku with a frown on her face.

"Well, you see, someone here seems to have miscalculated his own strength."

"The cocoon was frail, but it seemed very solid", the boy answered in a chilling voice.

The taiyoukai weighted his options. Giving away the girl was very tempting, and he would have been glad to get rid of her. On the other hand, whatever Naraku wanted to do with her it was sure to result in some unpleasant consequence. Thwarting his enemy's plan would be interesting, and would maybe force the wretched hanyou out in the open to claim what he wanted; the taiyoukai longed to fight him and destroy him once and for all.

"The girl is under This Sesshomaru's responsibility for now. Until she heals, I expect not to see you again, or you will suffer the consequences of your mingling."

Having said that, he formed his youki cloud and flew away in a dignified and indifferent way, thus challenging the witch to dare follow after him. She did not, however, and he quickly left her behind as he travelled through the steep valleys and passes of the mountains. Moments later, he came down to a small cave encased in a shallow gorge a the foot of the mountain. The sulphuric emanations and vapours from a nearby hot spring covered the scent of the campfire and hid almost entirely the smoke that exited the cave. His dragon steed was vigilantly surveying the area, hidden amongst large rocks; his retainer had done well.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter 2

The creature had been sleeping in the farthest corner of the cave for the last two days. Strangely, it had been difficult for Rin to leave her side, and it took more than a look from her master to make her obey and move outside. He rarely commanded her to do things, the girl being skilled at reading his moods and unspoken demands, but this time he had to ask her to leave before she complied.

His retainer however showed no surprising behavior; as always he ranted and grunted endlessly about the new filth his master had taken into their life. Not caring at all about the little Kappa since he actually was in agreement with him, Sesshomaru settled at the mouth of the cave, relaxing his posture as he sat against the wall. At this location, he could easily keep watch over the recovering Rin and the creature he brought there.

The more he looked at her, the less pleased he was with his decision. Tenseiga had yet to lead him into trouble, but this time he was far from convinced of the wisdom of the blade. The female's small clawed hands were not too disturbing, but her sharp silvery teeth and long legs, ending in three-toed palmigrade feet sporting three inches claws and a spur at the end of her heels, made it very clear that he had taken a predator in his group.

She wore little clothing, if any. A golden tiara with three short spikes, a longer one in the center and two shorter ones over each eye, was posed on her brows and a similar golden collar with a black gem in its center was encircling her neck. It looked very much like the beginning of a pectoral plate, without the plate. Her hands and feet were also decorated with golden bracelets, coiled around the ankles and wrists in a way reminiscent of a snake ensnaring its prey. Around her waist was another gold band, with a small pouch attached, hanging just under her belly button. That is, it would be hanging under her belly button if she had one.

Her head was not simply tubular as he first thought. It was ending on three short spike-like structures, one at the very end of her cranium, and one on each side of it, looking a little like a ruff. Over all those details, what disturbed him the most was her skin. Dull black, flawless skin that absorbed the light, soft as velvet yet not feeling truly alive, it changed around the neck and her now almost closed wound to a more shiny black, showing strong muscles and ribbed flesh in the detail. How could her features be so detailed at some places and so plain everywhere else he didn't know; she was a truly singular creature that he couldn't relate to any kind of youkai he knew about. Now that he took her in, maybe to anger Naraku, maybe to calm down his Tenseiga, he would wait until he was sure that she could survive through this ordeal; but the faster he could be rid of her, the better.

**SSSSS**

Consciousness slowly crept back to her mind. Still foggy, her heightened senses began to inform her of her situation. Dead she was not, that was for sure, for she did not believe a pain so strong could have continued in the afterlife. Her right side was hurting so much, and her insides were in a very bad state. Doing her best to ignore her suffering until she knew more about the situation she was in, she concentrated on what her senses told her.

She could clearly detect a strong heat source in front of her, dancing in blue, yellow and red like only a bonfire could do; a second source of heat, shaped in a humanoid form, was sitting at the entrance of the place she was kept in. She was most likely inside a cave, if she could judge by the coolness and humidity of the walls surrounding her: it was too cold to be wood, or anything other than damp stone.

Turning toward her inner senses, she now was able to feel the energy of the humanoid being, an immensely strong energy. Its emotions were swirling and both concern and anger were coming from it in waves. Other tiny sources of energy were present outside of the cave, and as far as she could tell, she had already been in prolonged contact with one of them; she knew this energy signature. What was her name, again? In a flash it came back to her: Rin, that was it, the young one told her she was Rin. A beautiful soul, this young child who had fought a fierce battle alongside her against the disease that threatened to end her life. She remembered now when she first felt the brush of her energy against her own, when their souls came in contact with each other, calling her back from whatever unconscious plane of existence she was in. She had been able to sense deep concern for others in the girl's mind, for a certain being in particular; white, a shiny pure white creature that the child revered as her lord. There was a grumpy little green thing also, that the child called master. This word chilled her out, but there was a genuine love laced with the thoughts of the child, no fear or pain. That was when she decided to help her, decided to pour her energy in the lithe body and convince it to fight back the invaders she could clearly feel. As the child healed, she felt the wounds of her own soul, of her own heart, stopping to bleed and starting to mend. And then came the brutal awakening.

Pain returned to her distracted mind with a vengeance and she let out a low hiss. Feeling with a hand, she found a fresh wound in her skin that had quickly mended itself to prevent more acid lost, but her internal organs still had a long way to go before being healed. The weapon, with its speed, had unfortunately penetrated very deep into her body before being destroyed by her acid.

Suddenly, the energy changed in the room, and she felt that the humanoid heat source had moved very fast and was now very close to her. She opened her eyes and as her slit pupils adjusted to the low level of light, she discovered she was face to face with the creature. Tall, white and powerful: recognition flashed in her eyes and a sad little smile came to the corners of her lips.

"Angelus" she whispered, trying to rise on her elbows; then she stilled, dizziness overcoming her senses.

Sesshomaru gazed at her from his height, with a bored look on his features.

"You are mistaken, woman. This Sesshomaru is certainly not an angel."

She closed her eyes and fell back into sleep, adding to the growing irritation of the taiyoukai.

A couple of hours later, she arose again,. She was feeling a little better, but the coldness of the rock had crept inside her during her prolonged sleep. The stiffness of her muscles was another element that was difficult to ignore, as if she was awakening after sleeping in an awkward position for a long time. The burning fire was tempting her, but she was wary of the silver-haired male watching over her. After studying him more intensively, she recognized him for who he was: the lord of the young Rin, the one she called Sesshomaru-sama. During their days together, Rin had told her how he always protected her from any danger and apparently he was considering her a possible threat. But she couldn't bear with the cold anymore; she rose slowly and approached the campfire, sitting cross-legged directly in front of Sesshomaru, trying to stay as far from him as she could while staying in the circle of heat emitted by the fire. His attention was now totally concentrated on her, and he failed to notice that they weren't alone in the cave anymore.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Kitana-sama is awake!" said the child while running toward the woman.

His head swirled around and his gaze met with the brown eyes of the human girl. The movement stopped the girl as efficiently as a wall would have done; frozen in an immobile position, she still showed her mirth through the brilliant smile that adorned her face.

As Sesshomaru moved toward the fire to place himself between his ward and the creature, she did something unexpected. Raising her hand to the child, she whispered something that made him pause.

"Rin-chan, don't come any closer to me. I am wounded, and I could hurt you if I bled again."

With a toothy smile, the child bowed to the creature she called Kitana and went back to Jaken, who was standing at the entrance of the cave carrying skewers of fish and mushrooms. She took the food and placed it around the fire like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"What is the meaning of this? Woman, you will explain yourself to this Sesshomaru" said the confused, and still angry, taiyoukai. He was as always putting up a front of boredom and indifference, but his gaze was intense. How could she know of his ward's name, he thought? Did the child invented a name to suit her savior, or was it truly how she was called?

The creature did not seem affected by his demand, nor by his height towering above her. She eyed him and moved a little closer to the fire; she was already growing weary of him, of his overbearing presence. As life came back to her body, as the fire warmed her up, she remembered the reasons why she crept away from life, from heat, and found solace in a dark, cold cave. Her wounded heart that had slowly started to heal under the touch of the child's soul reacted to her memories by bleeding anew like it was never truly mended. And as it happened, she wished she was still sleeping in oblivion.

"You should have killed me, like I asked you". Her voice was low and rich, her pronunciation very good, but tinted with the accent of a foreign origin.

Frowning, he added "answer This Sesshomaru, woman". Once again, his demanding tone did not move her at all. She was still studying him, slowly and methodically as if trying to recall an ancient memory and compare it with what was before her. Memories were painful things though and soon she stopped musing and she started to consider him for what he was: the one who could, if she manipulated him correctly, send her to her true death.

Jaken, on the other hand, did not possess the patience of the creature or the self-control of his master. Waving his staff in her direction, he shouted with his high-pitched voice:

"You insufferable wench! How dare you ignore the questions of my Lord, the Great Lord Sesshomaru who saved you from the pits of Hell where you would surely be burning right now if it wasn't from his - eeep! – "

The rest of the phrase was told to the back wall of the cave, as a well-placed kick from his master embedded the kappa in the rocky structure.

"This Sesshomaru obeys no orders" he finally added, omitting the fact that he would have been glad to oblige if his damn sword hadn't stopped him. His sight was glued to her strange black and golden eyes. "Beside, you healed my ward of her illness; honor asked that I repay you. Now that it is done, you will explain yourself. How come you know Rin by her given name?"

It was her turn now to gaze into his eyes. She clearly felt his growing anger, his intense irritation and his desire to kill something. Probably her, or maybe the toad. However, his concern for the child is what decided her to speak.

"Rin-chan and I have spent quite some time together recently, as you surely know. She told me of her, her Lord Sesshomaru and her, mmm, "master Jaken"… Isn't it the thing stuck on the wall there, Rin?"

Smiling despite her mouth full of mushrooms, the child nodded her head quickly, her lopsided ponytail accentuating the movement.

"Why is Naraku interested in you?" Sesshomaru added. A bland look on her face followed his question.

"Naraku? I know of no Naraku. Is it a bad thing, to have caught his interest?"

"He would most likely kill you, as he clearly intended to do when he sent his puppet to open up your cocoon".

"So, it is a good thing then. I don't know why I caught his eye, but if you refuse to obey and kill me, I can still go to him and have him do what you should have done".

Anger reached dangerous levels in the taiyoukai mind, and the kappa, just detached from his stony place, reacted accordingly.

"HOW DARE YOU! You should be punished for showing such level of disrespect toward my Lord! Your attitude is totally unacceptable, you wench! Your looks should already have warned us about your insolence, showing yourself in the nude like a whore in front of higher beings is totally disgusting and the dirty words that come out of your mouth are as - eeep! – "

The kappa found himself unable to complete his phrase, as his throat was held tightly by a bony tail wrapped around it. The owner of the tail let him struggle a little before bringing him closer to her eyes, a tired look on her face.

"Master" Jaken. If you could refrain from interrupting, this discussion would already be done, and your Lord would be satisfied. But as your mouth is not able to stop blabbering insanities and your eyes are unable to see what is in front of them, I'm afraid we won't be done until the night come. So let me explain. Once. Firstly, as Rin-chan said earlier my name is Kitana, not wench and I am certainly not a whore. Secondly, I am fully clothed; it is not my fault if your eyesight is so poor that you cannot differentiate my skin from my clothes. But if it could help you to be more at ease, I can modify them. Better?"

As she spoke, the duller part of her skin seemed to move and adopt a different form. The material that sculpted her body morphed into an elegant pair of flowing pants with slits along the sides up to the knees, combined with a silk-like diamond-shaped top attached to the neck collar and the waist band, and attaching in the back by cords coming from the sides. Her true skin did not appear though, with the exception of the area around the now closed wound and her neck and head, as if she wanted to keep it concealed from the view; the dull black material was still visible underneath the mock clothes. Stupefied, all Jaken could do was nod his head energetically and wish she would not harm him or threaten him anymore.

As was always the case when his retainer was being rightfully punished, Sesshomaru relaxed a little and even started to appreciate the situation. He bent his head in approval of her change of "clothes", and sat down elegantly beside Rin. Kitana released the little demon who crawled to reach his master's side of the fire, away from her grasp. She relaxed her posture a little more and covered her right side with her hand, hurting.

"I'm sorry, I forgot what we were talking about", she said looking at Sesshomaru. She sensed that he was now calm enough to want to satiate his curiosity without beheading her before gaining the answers he sought. She fought back a smile when she felt the inquisitiveness of the taiyoukai's mind, the confusion also and the underlying anger that fuelled him. He didn't know what to ask anymore, too many questions were scrambling inside his head to be asked first.

"Who are you?"

"That, is a question I can answer. I am Kitana." Irritation started to gnaw at his patience again…

"And exactly what kind of youkai are you, Kitana?"

She breathed slowly, taking her time, evaluating how she should answer that.

"Youkai?" It was definitively not his day. Frowning, she added "You will have to enlighten me about what is a youkai. All I can do is tell you how my kind is called, then you could tell me what type of "youkai" you think I am. That's the best I can do."

Sesshomaru was growing weary of this game. Questioning was not something he liked, usually the answers flowed before he had to ask for them, and he could quickly kill the source of answers when it had nothing more to say. This situation was unusual, to say the least, and his curiosity and misplaced sense of honour prevented him from dispatching the unnerving creature.

"So how is your kind called?". She looked at him intently, her eyes challenging him, and she answered his question. A strange word left her lips, said in a foreign language, both with a high-pitched tone and her usual richer voice as if two different persons were combining their voices. Laced in the word where tremors and rattles, and the resulting sound produced a deep effect on almost everyone present. A very unpleasant effect, in fact, as Sesshomaru had not felt his hackles rise in fear since his childhood; the kappa gasped for air, and Ah-Un emitted a low growl from the entrance of the cave. The only one immune to the power of this word was Rin, who continued to eat happily far more than her share of fish.

"I hope you are satisfied. Now that we have established who and what I am and that I know nothing about your Naraku, can I retire?"

Shaking himself mentally, Sesshomaru asked "Retire?"

"Yes, retire" she sighed. "You obviously won't kill me, which is regrettable. Since I am forced to stay alive, I cannot help but notice that there is some dried goo sticking on me; I would appreciate a bath. No, I need a bath. If I can tell by the sulphuric stench and the humidity that surrounds us, there should be a volcanic hot spring nearby. I think everybody here would benefit from it if I cleaned myself".

"Oh, Sesshomaru-sama, can Rin go too? Rin looooves hot springs!" The sparkles in the child's eyes made her plea difficult to resist, but as much as the Taiyoukai wanted to let her do as she pleased, the presence of the odd creature was too dangerous to ignore.

Kitana was already rising to her feet, clamping a hand on her waist. A limping on her right side signalled how much she still hurt despite the fact that her skin had mended, and her slightly shaking legs showed that her muscles were atrophied from her sleep in the cocoon.

"Sesshomaru" she waited for him to acknowledge her. "You can come along with Rin if you wish. I always bath with my clothes on. Beside, I think you are stuck with the same goo as I am", she added pointing to his almost ruined fur pelt. He had yet to clean himself, for all he had done since he set foot in the gorge was keep a watchful eye on the newcomer.

Sesshomaru was irritated by her attitude; she was not afraid of him in the slightest and the kappa was right, she ordered him around shamelessly. If he trusted his instincts, he would say that she was actively trying to provoke his wrath. Nonetheless, he was not one who tolerated dirty smells and sights, so he nodded his approval to the creature and rose after her. His ward started to giggle, running circles around Kitana and him, while they made their way to the hot springs.

Rin discarded her clothes as soon as she reached the water. As she was about to jump in the small pool though, her waist was quickly encircled by Kitana's tail, her small form being lifted in the air before being brought down to the ground. Sesshomaru immediately placed his hand threateningly on the said tail, with a look that screamed murder in his eyes, and the strong scent of his poison rose in the air.

"Wait, Rin-Chan. The water is deep in this part of the basin. It would be best if you entered it by the left side, the rocks seem to make a safe, shallow pool of water there." While she spoke, her eyes never left the taiyoukai's glare, his eyes reduced to mere slits. She deposited the giggling girl on the ground and Sesshomaru removed his grip from her tail, his features going back to the bored attitude that appeared to be his signature.

Kitana followed Rin in the hot water while Jaken silently took care of his master's furs. Sesshomaru kept a watchful look over the basin, but his concern was soon relegated to second place in his mind. His ward was blatantly enamoured with Kitana, they shared a bond he couldn't understand but he felt that the woman was honest in her interactions with the child. His curiosity about what was this creature, with the bone-chilling "name" of her species, was taking over his mind and he did not appreciate it at all. The woman was healing well, and he would let her on her own sooner than he first had thought, curiosity or not. Yes, much sooner.

Rin was playing in the water with the bliss only a child her age could exhibit and Kitana was doing her best to play along, while cleaning and resting her body under the hot water. Sesshomaru's ward was laughing loudly while she was hauled around the pool by the same appendage that threatened the kappa earlier. Never had she had a bathing partner more fun than the woman. Even Jaken wouldn't play with her, all he did was grumbling about how dirty she was, how long she was making their Lord wait, how wet he was becoming because of her. Then, he usually either slipped on a mossy rock and knocked himself out, or Sesshomaru would grow tired of his moaning and groaning and step on him, kick him away or throw a rock at his bald head. It was fun, really, but not as much.

The sun was beginning to set when the giggling Rin and a tired, but seemingly less depressed Kitana followed Sesshomaru back to the cave. Rin went ahead of them directly to Ah-Un; plunging her hands in the saddle bags, she extracted some blankets and entered the cave.

Kitana was much slower; her side was hurting a lot, even though the hot bath helped her to heal faster, and her weak muscles were giving her a hard time. She came to a stop close to the cave, wanting a small pause from all the walking, and she had something on her mind that she needed to consider.

"Sesshomaru. Do you know for how long I have been in a resting state?"

The youkai stared at her, determining if he should answer despite her being so impolite, never using his title or honorific.

"This Sesshomaru knows nothing of your early days in the cocoon. But for the last 700 years I lived, you have been lost to life, trapped inside it."

Staring at him, she added "I… see. And… exactly how long is 700 years, if I may ask?"

Sesshomaru studied her features, not sure if she was mocking him or was just plain stupid. She seemed genuinely concerned though, and did not give him the impression of being dumb. Puzzled, he answered.

"This Sesshomaru was a mere child when he first saw your cocoon".

Apparently relieved by his answer, she sighed and smiled. "So, not that long eh… Maybe there is still time…"

"But This Sesshomaru is youkai."

With that blunt phrase, he started walking again, leaving her behind.

"Wait! What do you mean, you are youkai? What does it change?"

Smirking inside, Sesshomaru knew he could now pay her back for her disrespect.

"The superior beings that are youkai, as you should know, can live forever. Humans though, have a far shorter lifespan."

With a soft, weak voice that could be qualified a murmur, she finally asked:

"Forever? And… how… short, exactly, is a human lifespan?"

Lifting his head to look at the fading sun, he took a very bored tone. "Their lives are insignificant. Most are graceful enough to die in their childhood or be killed in the feudal wars or by some disease or sickness. But some manage to grow old and live until they reach 50, maybe 60 years. At best." With that, he left her behind, stunned by his words.

Kitana was speechless. Slowly kneeling on the ground, she felt a deep despair overcoming her. She thought about all the implications this revelation had. She still had no clue about what a youkai was, but a human she knew very well. How could it be possible for her to survive through all those centuries, she had no idea. What it meant though, was that everything she had left behind was truly forever gone. There was no coming back, and there never would be. He really should have killed her, she thought.

When she entered the cave, the night had already taken the place of the day and the only creature awake, beside her, was the youkai lord. She curled up in her faraway corner and let the sleep engulf her. Alive she was, but she surely didn't feel that way inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 3**

Morning came, bringing along its symphony of joyful songbirds and singing insects. Kitana was awakened by the sounds of hissing vapour as water was thrown over the campfire by a busy-looking Jaken. Avoiding her gaze the best he could, he grabbed the blankets nervously and brought them with him out of the cave. Kitana rose to her feet, assessing her injury which was already hurting much less than the previous day; the clothes were now completely covering the mended skin, and only the internal wounds were still making her suffer. Her stance, though, was still precarious, and she sighed as she stumbled forward and grabbed the wall to support her weight. When she finally reached the mouth of the cave, a little bundle of orange silk and messed hairs ran to her and grabbed her right leg.

"Kitana-sama, Kitana-sama!" Catching her breath, the little girl smiled brightly to the stranger woman. "Sesshomaru-sama let Rin come to see you before we go. Thank you for making Rin feel better. Will Rin see you again? Pleaaaase say yes Kitana-sama!" said the girl with her toothy grin.

"So, you are leaving", Kitana said to the nearby Taiyoukai, her hand delicately stroking the child's hair. He nodded, before asking his ward to mount on Ah-Un. Jaken having already put the blankets back in the saddlebags, they were ready to go. Kitana advanced toward the beast and its charge, a pang of sadness in her heart as Rin smiled to her.

"I won't forget you, Rin-chan. You have been a little miss sunshine amongst those cloudy days. We will surely meet again, if not in this life, then in the other". As she saw the child taking to the skies, waving her goodbye, sadness once again filled her heart. Why would she be awakened from her slumber, if it was to face a life of loneliness and loss? She gave a bitter look to Sesshomaru, the one responsible for her survival. Without his unwanted intervention, this Naraku guy would surely have finished the job and she would be drifting forever in the abysses of the afterlife.

The taiyoukai was glad to depart. He still felt uneasy around that creature, and even though lots of questions were left unanswered, he couldn't safely quench his curiosity about her. Not while little Rin was around. He didn't know why, and he surely wouldn't admit it out loud, but he felt compelled to assure her protection. Now that his responsibility toward his ward's savior was fulfilled and his honor was safe, whatever happened to her didn't concern him in the slightest. For all he cared, Naraku could absorb her now; the girl was weak, so weak he could not even feel her youki, and he could not see what advantage his enemy would gain by taking her inside him. He had surely realized this by himself, since never in the days spent in the gorge did the hanyou's stench come to his sensible nose.

However, just as he was starting to ascend to the skies to join his steed, ward and retainer amongst the deep, black clouds that were assembling over their heads, his conclusions were negated when a well-known and despised scent hit his nose. Annoyance pointing its ugly head again in his mind, he looked behind him and saw what he had smelled a moment before.

"Yo! You are making yourself difficult to find, Sesshomaru-sama. I see you finally came to your senses and decided to leave this creature to her fate."

"Kagura" he said with a bored tone.

Kitana, who was eyeing the newcomer curiously, felt the discomfort and irritation of the taiyoukai at the arrival of the lady he named Kagura. The woman was beautiful, if not a little strange because of her deep red eyes and the fact that she was floating in the air on a feather disturbed her. The cloud that supported Sesshomaru's weight effortlesly puzzled her as well and she approached them, curious to see who was this weird woman who had the virtue of putting the taiyoukai on edge.

"Do not bother yourself with her anymore, Sesshomaru. My master will be happy to take her in charge."

That being said, Kagura made a large movement with her left arm. An ill-assorted swarm of lower youkai, most of them looking like mindless worms or centipedes, appeared from the clouds above them and approached the ground at blinding speed. They entered the ravine, circling its occupant and waiting for an order to come; amongst them were some hell bees, the crafty little spies of Naraku.

"You may leave in peace, Sesshomaru. I will just take this… thing, with me. Naraku is interested in her skills. Girl, if you follow me gently, no harm will come to you. My master merely wishes to… speak with you", she said, hiding a grin behind her fan.

As the meaning of Kagura's words came to his mind, Sesshomaru frowned and almost draw his Tokijin. Could it be possible that Naraku's interest in the creature came from the possibility of absorbing her and her healing powers? Impossible, he thought, for Naraku was able to regenerate easily with the help of the jewel shards. But then, if he gained the ability to heal his followers…

Kitana, however, didn't loose time wondering over the true reasons of the presence of the wind witch as they were crystal clear to her. Her minions' minds were simple, but they radiated evil and hate so strongly it almost hurt her. If this Naraku truly wanted her dead, she would already be under attack; these monsters would be pleased to tear her body in pieces, and she would gladly allow them to do so. Instead, they reigned in their killing intents and waited patiently for their orders. Looking up at the red-eyed woman, Kitana decided that there was no way she would let herself be caught; captivity was something she abhorred even more than life. Taking up a fighting stance, she prepared herself for what was to come; crouching low almost on all four, she snared, exposing her silvery white teeth and started to sway her tail from one side to another, slightly whipping the ground at each pass.

"Well well, I should have known better. Sesshomaru already brainwashed you with all those tales about how bad it is to be absorbed by Naraku, I guess. Poor thing. Only then you will attain true power. So follow me, or I'll make you."

With the exception of her tail which was now whirling furiously around her, Kitana didn't move an inch, her resolve clearly visible on her determined face. As she waited for the attack to come, her clothes morphed shape again, becoming denser and forming an armor around her body, with two spears appearing along her forearms and one on each of her knees. Her golden irises became slightly more brilliant, as if an inner fire was lighting them up, and it was then that the witch made her move. Lowering her hand, she sent her army toward the girl, shouting "Take her alive!" to the monsters.

They came at her all at once, jaws wide opened, claws ready to grip what they could. Sesshomaru stayed on the side, watching. His ward was safe under the protection of Ah-Un and Jaken with his Staff of Two Heads, and he was interested in the outcome of the battle.

Swiftly dodging her attackers, Kitana knew her muscles were too weakened by her long sleep to last very long. She did her best to avoid the demons, jumping amongst them and using her claws and the sharpened edges of her tail to kill her opponents, but she was overpowered by their numbers and much too clumsy to be a real threat to them. As she saw that the prick who called himself Lord would not indulge in helping her, she did the only thing she could; she gathered whatever energy was left inside her and sent it at her enemies, visualizing brains and hearts torn to shreds by her powers.

All Sesshomaru saw was Kitana taking a pause, regaining her fighting stance, and then her yellow irises started shining and invading the black sclera of her eyes, leaving no place for any black tint. He then felt a – wave – of something, go right through his very being, and suddenly every low-level youkai and bee fell on the ground, blood oozing from their eyes, noses, ears and mouths, as if killed by the inside.

Kagura, as intact as he was, gasped at the sight. Almost a hundred youkai slaves, suddenly falling dead at her feet, and she didn't even saw what caused their death? Impossible! As much as she would have liked to see Naraku's plan fall apart, she couldn't take that insult without retaliating fiercely.

Kitana was nearing exhaustion, although she did her best not to let it be seen by keeping her stance as steady and menacing as she could, but her legs were shaking and her eyelids weighted a ton. She could feel the anger of the woman and the intense curiosity of the taiyoukai, but she couldn't care less. For all she knew, the battle was over.

How wrong was she.

With a sneer, Kagura lifted her fan this time, and pronounced four small words before waving it at what was now a bloodied battlefield.

"Dance of the Dead!"

As if on cue, the bodies of the fallen youkai came back to life, jerking around until all missing parts were reattached.

Wide-eyed, Kitana couldn't believe what was happening. She knew for sure these monsters couldn't be alive; her attack had destroyed their vital areas as surely as if she had torn them apart with her very claws. She looked in their eyes and saw no recognition, she felt for their aggressive emotions and found nothing; even their energy signatures were gone. They were definitively dead; and definitively attacking her, again.

So again, she fought for her freedom.

Sesshomaru knew how this attack from the wind sorceress could be devastating, both on the body and on the mind of its victims. Not knowing why, he was pleased by Kitana's fast reaction even though she clearly didn't understand how all that was possible. With grace and fluidity she jumped and bounced on her enemies, slashing at a body before using it as a propelling board to reach another one, soon severed by her claws and tail. However this time her victims didn't fell dead on the ground, they simply reattached the sliced limbs and re-entered the dance. There was no end to her torment. Sesshomaru thought that he would probably have to intervene and protect her, as he had to make sure Naraku couldn't possibly absorb the dying girl. Not with a power like that; killing at a distance was not an ability he could let Naraku gain. He loathed Kitana for that; he didn't mind destroying lower youkai, even enjoyed it at times, but never being forced into it. Killing her by himself was not an option either: the hanyou would probably laugh for days at the idea of forcing the taiyoukai to eliminate his ward's rescuer. He would make sure to punish this wretched hanyou in the near future for all his interferences in his life, as soon as he could find his hiding place, of course.

In the center of the meadow, things were going downhill for Kitana. She was going nowhere, her body was breaking down, her internal organs were shutting down one by one, and her muscles were tearing up under the strain she imposed on them. A hazy cloud was beginning to form before her eyes, blurring her surroundings and making it hard to distinguish her enemies. Their corpses were still warm, but there were so many of them that it was impossible to distinguish the individuals by their heat emission alone. For each of her strikes, she received two or three blows that sent waves of pain through her bones and organs. Almost defeated, a last thought entered her mind.

She would not become a prisoner again; she would never serve another master.

Once again, her eyes shined an intense golden color. Her face showed intense concentration, as her energy was already spent and this would be her last chance at liberty. Called from within, a fire burned brightly in her eyes as she witnessed the hordes of demons being consumed by an inferno of white and yellow flames. The fire started from within the dead bodies and rapidly fed from them, becoming stronger and brighter and hungrier. The heat in the meadow became intense and black, smelly smoke polluted the clear blue sky. In mere instants the corpses were consumed and reduced to piles of smoldering ashes and black, charred bones.

Three figures still stood in the meadow. Two were too stunned to react; the third one, crouched on her heels with her swirling tail creating a cloud of dust around her, bared a bright set of fangs and hissed threateningly, looking up at the red-eyed woman.

"Bring them back to life now. Do it! Show me what you can do with ashes. Show me, you witch, or it will be your turn to burn in hell!"

The wind witch could not die as long as her heart was within the grasp of Naraku, but she could experiment all the nuances of pain, from the faintest to the most brutal; and she didn't like it one bit. Her fear painted on her face, she took flight upon her feather, fleeing from the battlefield with only her pride hurting. After all, she could rejoice in the fact that once again Naraku's plan fell apart, and it was not her fault this time.

It was at that moment that Kitana gave up and fainted. Just before she lost consciousness, she felt a strong wave of anger overpowering feelings of concern and confusion, coming from the taiyoukai. Sesshomaru, as he caught her body before she touched the ground, wrapped her half in his arm half in his furs and looked at her intensely. How dare she lie to him! She would be answerable to him in the near future, or face terrible consequences.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru had taken his time searching for the best place to dwell in safety, and remembered about this clearing he played in as a pup. Seated deep in what was called Inuyasha's forest, was a small rocky hill with a very large rock overhanging a small valley. On one side of the rock a small waterfall fed a lazy stream, creating a nice calm water basin. The stream itself travelled languidly into the forest and the trees and bushes on its banks were really scattered and sparse, creating multiple small clearings covered in flowers. If one climbed on the top of the rocky structure, a plain descending slowly into the surrounding forest was what caught the eye. The large rock itself provided shelter from rain and the forest stopped any cold or strong wind; it was a good place for what he had in mind. Leading its party toward the ground, he descended and prepared to what was to come.

Kitana came back to her senses many hours later. Silently scanning the area, she was relieved by what she found. Her companions had not changed and she was not a prisoner, nor was she alone to fend for herself. She was positioned close to the campfire, and felt that Rin was further in the valley, with Jaken and the dragon. Opening her eyes, she met the terrible gaze of the demon lord that was set upon her. Waves of different feelings came from him endlessly, none of them auguring well for her; she would not be surprised if this guy could fall a foe with his gaze.

"You lied to this Sesshomaru, woman."

Puzzled, she looked at him blandly, trying to figure out what he was talking about. She was weak, terribly hurt, in need of nourishment and healthcare, and it made it a lot harder to concentrate on the conversation he was trying to have with her.

"Mmmm… Sorry but… What is this all about? You said I lied? I certainly told you no lie".

His eyes now reduced to mere slits, he took a deep breath. Not killing this creature would be harder than he first thought, but he would not play into Naraku's game. Not yet. He decided to play his cards and analyze her reactions first.

"You told This Sesshomaru that you knew not why Naraku had interest in you; you hid the fact that you harbored such… powers. The hanyou is after you only to obtain them, and This Sesshomaru cannot let this happen."

Weariness was weighing heavily upon her, and she closed her eyes, sighing. It didn't matter to her what this youkai was trying to explain, it didn't matter that he was angry at her, she didn't care about his moods and his complaints. Her body hurt everywhere, her insides where mending themselves from a terrible blow worsened by an untimely and unnatural battle and her soul was so damaged that simply being alive was a torture in itself. If he would just finish her off now, both of them would surely be happier. And she did not hesitate to tell him, before closing her eyes again.

Sesshomaru stormed out of the camp. It was difficult for him to detach himself from the situation like he ordinarily did. His ward who had become attached to the creature after mere days of contact, then his inappropriate curiosity, her stunning powers and the place she had in Naraku's plans, everything about this creature awakened interest in him. As disrespectful as she was, with her infuriating remarks and her maddening attitude towards him, he could not compel to her repeated pleas for being killed. Her suicidal attitude was telling all his instincts to shake her awake, to make her stand tall. And wake her, he would, as it was the only way for him to be done with her and get rid of her.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author note: I hope you enjoy this story. I could use some more reviews though, just to see what you think so far, what could be improved and so on.  
Oh yeah, the mature rating will however start to be explained in the coming chapters, so be warned!

**Chapter 4**

The smell of cooking meat was what brought Kitana out of her sleep. She was still lying down right beside a fire, and its heat had kept her warm despite the cool spring nights. Slowly sitting up, she was surprised to find the remains of a deer carcass at the far edge of the camp, near the first trees that announced the forest. Returning her focus to her immediate surroundings, she discovered that small strips of meat pinned upon sticks were slowly roasting, exposed to the fire as they were, and many other sticks were planted in the ground, a little further away. The young Rin was the one who arranged the future meal so expertly around the heat, hungrily watching the meat as its nature changed under the effects of the flames; cooking juices spluttered when they fell on the hot rocks that surrounded the fire, letting go of the aroma that called Kitana back to reality. The black creature then saw movement down near the carcass and sure enough, Jaken appeared from behind the deer. He was apparently making other sticks, his small body covered in blood as if he had been the one who cleansed the large carcass and prepared the meat. Which was probably what happened.

She fought back a bout of vertigo when she changed position, and immediately her body told her of the severity of the damages it sustained in her fight against the army of youkai. A groan left her lips and her arms encircled her waist as a deep pulsation of pain came to her, signaling the presence of internal haemorrhages. Miraculously, no important bones were broken, but that's was about it for the good news. Her breathing was laborious, and even though the organ that served as lung was not a vital one to her, she could tell that it was badly hurt as well. Some ribs were very tender, and she suspected them of breaking up during the fight and mending while she slept.

When the pain finally subsided to a more manageable level, she was finally able to focus on the being closest to her. Sesshomaru was sitting on a small boulder, a couple feet to her left, seemingly relax with his pristine white clothes denying the fact that he was the hunter of the deer. But Kitana could not imagine the kappa or the child killing an adult deer, she was not sleepwalking, and there was nobody else around who could have done that; it was definitely his doing. She was wondering how that man managed to keep himself so fresh and stainless while hunting such a large animal in the dense woods when his voice brought her out of her musings.

"Stop making us wait for you. Now that you are finally awake, you will eat."

His cold tone was clearly a mask. For Kitana, it was no big feat to detect the pride that he hid so well behind his icy tone of voice; it was coming off of him in waves strong enough that she wondered how she could be the only one to feel them. As she sat more squarely, stretching her back and trying to make herself comfortable, the little Rin quickly ran to her and glued herself to her side, already starting to eat the half-cooked meat. The little girl was clearly happy to see her new friend still amongst them after the terrible fight she witnessed, but she instinctively knew that her lord was still irritated at the black skined female and would not be pleased if she voiced it out loud, so she chose to show her joy through subtle demonstrations instead; as subtle as a child her age could be.

Kitana looked at the girl as she devoured a second part of meat, noticing how her tiny muscles were atrophied from her disease and she smiled, happy to see the child eager to regain what strength she lost in the course of her ailment. Then, her eyes fell on the arm that Rin had hooked herself upon, and she sighed seeing how she was only a ghost of her former self, as diminished by her century long sleep as the child was from illness. Her muscles unused to battles anymore were aching, tormented by the intense activity of the day before. Or was it two days? She couldn't tell for sure. All she knew was that Sesshomaru was correct in his estimation of her need for nourishment: she was in dire need of replenishing her energies. Reluctantly, she directed her attention to the meat and she swallowed in disgust; there was no way she could ingest such food, no matter how tasteful it was for a human child. Feeling the impatience of the taiyoukai growing and his constant gaze burning holes in the side of her head, she decided to mask her disgust for now to make him swallow up his pride; it was tiresome to be so sick and have someone boasting his success right beside her, no matter how subtle the said boasting was. And after all, the guy never helped her when she was fighting for her life, he did not deserve her cooperation. Maybe he would finally kill her if she provoked him correctly?

"I did not think you would resort to poisoning me", Kitana commented to the cold lord. "With all those swords hanging on your sash, I have to say I am surprised that you would prefer such a lowly way of doing what I asked of you. I just hope you made sure Rin wouldn't touch my intended part. As for Jaken, you are the judge."

Sesshomaru's ego deflated upon hearing her words. How could she put all his efforts to waste and imply he would dirty his honor and endanger the life of his ward in three short and simple phrases! It was completely unacceptable, but he was prepared for her insolence this time; the creature's temper was fierce and bitter, but they could play this game together.

"Do not tempt me, woman; poisoning your food would indeed be a good way to remove you from my sight. The meat however is perfectly edible."

Fidgeting, Kitana did not make any move to take her part of the meal. She appeared to be embarassed somehow, yet it was with a mischievous tone that she voiced her opinion.

"… Pardon me, but… I wouldn't say so…."

Irritated, he bore his gaze into her peculiar eyes.

"After seeing your fangs and claws, This Sesshomaru came to the conclusion that you could safely be considered a meat eater. The probability that you were a grass-eating creature is… scant, at best. However if herbs suit you better, there is a nice meadow just below the hill. Ah-Un would surely not mind sharing his sustenance with you."

He was shocked to see mirth starting to appear in her eyes. It was not the reaction he expected from her; it was not the reaction he would have had. Was she trying to provoke him once again, despite her failed attempts of the previous day? Mentally sighing, he decided he should be satisfied that his response triggered something in her other than the desire to end her days. That was… a beginning. He would eventually find how to instil anger and rage into her, enabling her to face off against Naraku's minions by herself; it was just a matter of time.

She shook her head, a sad smile showing up on her lips.

"It's not that, Sesshomaru. I am indeed a predator, but this meat is not… fresh enough for my needs."

That was it. She was strongly poking at his breaking point once again, completely overstepping her boundaries. It was easy to see that the deer was freshly killed; the scent coming from the carcass lynig in the meadow was that of fresh blood and teared up muscles, not that of decaying meat, and the heart was still beating when his retainer cut the animal open to clean it, as was demonstrated by the sorry state of the toad.

Jaken, who was approaching the fire with the last sticks he had prepared, was aghast; his beak couldn't open wider than it did at the moment and his eyes would simply pop out of his head if his blood pressure rose a little bit higher. He could already see Kitana's head rolling on the dirty ground, her body reduced to shreds by his lord's claws and energy whip. Then he would surely revive her, to kill her again in a much, much worse way. Yes, that was all she deserved, and it was well-deserved as no one should insult the Great Lord Sesshomaru and his mighty retainer and walk away from it alive. As the corner of his mouth started to climb into a grin, he froze. Things were not going as planned. Instead of the sweet sound of splattered blood, it was the icy-cold voice of his master that reached his ears.

"And what, exactly, does not please you in this meat?" Sesshomaru answered calmly, totally hiding his internal turmoil behind his mask of total indifference.

Kitana hesitated, seemingly frozen in place by the coldness of his tone. So, there was a limit to her rudeness, he thought. She really looked ashamed of herself, and he was glad that the impertinence of her behavior finally came to light in her mind. Apologies would surely be quick to follow. And tears, as most regretful females shed them to soften up the males so they would accept their plea. But he could deal with that. Really, it would please him to accept her deepest apologies. He would –

"It is… too… dead, you see?" she whispered, looking away from him. One of his brow rose, his eyes opening slightly more than usually. Then understanding flashed in his mind and the other brow joined its twin under his silver bangs. Too dead? He rose to his feet, inviting her to join him with a glance.

"Then let us find some meat that is less… dead, shall we?"

She gave him a very puzzled look. Apparently, his attitude was a mystery to her. How could a guy that disliked her so much, going so far as looking from afar, dispassionately, while she was being killed, suddenly change his mind about her and hunt for her?

"Why?"

His intense gaze locked with her mesmerizing black and gold eyes.

"Do not question This Sesshomaru."

He started to walk away from the camp, but to his irritation the girl did not move, calmly waiting for the answer she asked for. The taiyoukai never before encountered such a hard-headed being, or maybe he did but none of them lived long enough to push him to deal with their tempers. He would make sure to remember that sparing a life could only lead to disastrous consequences; the sweet little Rin was nothing but an exception, something that happened only once in a lifetime. Not turning back, he finally decided that giving away some more information would be a small price to pay to obtain the compliance that he wished for.

"You have to build back your health, only then you will be strong enough to fend off Naraku's tentatives to capture you."

She frowned at his broad back, not making a movement to rise.

"You did not strike me as a fan of my survival yesterday; you would have left me in that cave had the witch not arrived, and then while I fought those things I'm sure you would have been pleased if I died. Why the sudden change of mind?"

He swirled around to face her, his face a mask of total indifference, but his emotions raging inside. He was not happy, and she resisted an impulse to flinch under his terrible gaze.

"This Sesshomaru does not care about your survival in the slightest; however, letting Naraku absorb you and the powers you manifested is out of the question. Weak as you are, you represent a danger so you will stay under This Sesshomaru's responsibility. The faster you heal and get stronger, by feeding yourself correctly and training your body, the faster you will be rid of me and free to go die elsewhere."

Not breaking eye contact, Kitana sensed no deception in the taiyoukai. He was genuinely offering to shelter, feed and train her, even though this decision blatantly originated from his desire to be freed from her. And now, he was clearly inviting her to a hunt. Although she felt weaker than ever before, and did not want to linger much longer in this world, she knew she couldn't decline his offer. If he would not kill her, and this Naraku guy would only take advantage of her, she would have to be strong enough to find another one interested in ending her miserable life. And of course, strong enough to repel Naraku's attempts at capturing her, on her own. A new determination came to her eyes, as she rose to follow him. Her black and yellow eyes fixed upon him, she answered his declaration with one of her own.

"Hear my words Sesshomaru: I will not be enslaved again. You can count on that." With large strides, she moved pass him toward the forest.

He was perplexed by her words. So she had been a slave, had she? How could it be possible with the powers she manipulated, he did not know, but he would make sure to question her on this subject later. He joined her and soon the hunt began.

He was following the scent of a young, adolescent deer. Probably the young of the doe he caught earlier, he told himself. Kitana was following him, not really taking care of what he was doing. Really, he thought, this woman did not seem to be very familiar with hunting her own food, or she would be much more alert of her surroundings. Clenching his jaws in annoyance, he smelled the air for the deer's scent, which was still a good way ahead of them.

"Why did you spare the wind witch's life?", he asked in a whisper, not wanting to disturb the wildlife around them. What he really wanted to know is why he himself hadn't been hurt by the two murderous attacks she used in battle. Not that he could have been hurt, that was a ridiculous thought, but the point was that she didn't even try.

Kitana didn't know what to answer. She had been surprised to see the red-eyed woman escape unscathed from her attacks, and hadn't given much reflection to the subject until now.

"I tried to target the creatures emitting evil intentions toward me. She was probably attacking me against her own will, harboring no real ill intent, even though she seemed pretty angered by my last attack. That's the only way she could have survived those attacks", she answered with a low voice.

Sesshomaru nodded, his intuition confirmed. The girl did not want to hurt him. That was good to know, another confirmation that she was probably a harmless addition to his group. Catching up on his prey's track, he became silent again and resumed his hunt.

Kitana had already scanned the area, searching for the energy signature of a potential meal, but she found nothing suitable in a large radius. She would have to go far from there if she wanted to sustain herself properly. Shaking her head in defeat, she looked at the back of the taiyoukai. He was clearly tracking some scent, and she would not intervene, for her sense of smell was not much better than that of a human. Really she thought, this guy was something else. She had met long-lived creatures before of course, but ones still young after 10 or 11 human life spans were very rare. He was powerful too, that was the first thing she remembered feeling about him. What kind of power did he harbor she had no idea, but his energy was immense, rolling off of him in waves in a way she had never seen before. However something else in this world was stronger than him, for he did not try to hide the fact that his left arm was missing. It was not a birth handicap, as the man was sometimes starting to move as if he was about to use the missing limb, and then changed his motion as he remembered its loss. Contrarily to most handicapped males, he wasn't ashamed of it at all and acted as if his power had not been diminished in the slightest because of it. He was indeed a dangerous element in her life, and strangely it only brought her a sense of security.

She almost bumped in his back when he came to an abrupt stop. Realizing what made him pause, she stilled. A creature similar to the one that was roasting in the camp was eating some plants amongst the trees, about a hundred feet from them. So that was what he intended her to eat… Shivering in disgust and shaking her head again, she realized he had turned and was now looking straight at her.

"I hope you know how to hunt your own food?"

That was it. Her humiliation would cease right there and then, she thought. This long-lived youkai would learn that she was not one to back away from challenges, as small and insignificant as they were. She was sure she couldn't eat that thing, but she would try, just in case. Without a sound, she collected her still aching muscles and jumped straight up in a nearby tree. She reached a low branch, before silently laddering up in the tree's foliage until he lost sight of her.

His brows were once again up in his bangs. What was she up too? The deer was straight ahead, totally oblivious to its fate, a simple sprint and maybe a short pursuit amongst the trees would have done the job. Was she trying to escape from him? Frowning, that was when he discovered that he couldn't track her scent. Sniffing the air, he met no lingering trace that gave her position away. How odd, for no creature he knew of had no scent, even after a bath. He tried to remember if he had once smelled her, but it was not something he had paid attention to, being quite sure that he would leave her soon after he discovered her. Not knowing how she smelled would not have been a problem anyway, as she should at least smell like the lower youkai she fought against the earlier day, like his ward and retainer who stayed close to her physically, like him, but there was no trace of these scents either.

As he was lost in his conjectures, his eyes caught a sudden movement ahead. To his surprise, Kitana had caught the deer. She was wrapped around it, holding it firmly with both her arms and tail, rendering its long legs inefficient at fleeing away. He was intrigued by the technique: she had moved stealthily across the tree branches and let herself fall upon her unsuspecting prey, just as a feline would have done, or some species of owls he knew of. Scorpions seldom hunt that way, however; they abhorred direct fights, preferring to sting their prey from afar and follow them until they fell dead. Once again the subject of her unknown species came to his mind, but he could not determine what she was more than the day he found her. Finally, he moved toward her to see if she would need help in making the kill, but froze dead in his track. From what he saw, she was not going to kill the deer. Not yet.

She was immobile with her neck bent over the nape of the young deer, her body covering its back and her arms encircling its torso and shoulders, preventing any movement. A small rivulet of blood appeared from the place she was obviously biting at, the crimson liquid travelling lazily on the rough fur of the neck until it dripped to the ground. The deer was unnaturally still, its large black eyes opened wide while at the same time staring at nothing, not rolling around like any prey would do under such dire circumstances. The area was quiet, the birds and small animals having apparently decided to vacate the immediate surroundings and intermittent sounds of suction were the only noises that reached his ears. Sesshomaru was growing more and more uncomfortable under the display, it reminded him too much of a similar situation that he had hoped never to witness again. The dimly lit cave was now a forest, and black tendrils had been replaced with a living onyx-skined creature, but all the rest was too similar to his first visit to the cocoon cave for his comfort. As much as the occurrences where different, both times a detestable feeling made its way to his consciousness: the dreaded impression of being confronted to an unusual and deadly predator.

He stayed impassive when she suddenly struck at the deer with one clawed hand, opening its belly. A guttural scream came from the dying beast as its intestines spilled on the floor and a sudden burst of life came back to it. She continued to drink at its neck despite its struggling, but one of her hands and her tail were now making large wounds on the animal's flanks and abdomen, literally tearing it apart alive. Sesshomaru took a few steps backward as the swirling tail was sending dropplets of blood flying in all directions, its cutting sides opening the deer's skin in a serie of whipping movements. Only its neck and head were left alone. After minutes that felt like hours, in a shudder, the deer passed. Its body fell on the ground, lifeless and almost unrecognizable.

This gruesome demonstration left Sesshomaru speechless. In general demons were bestial creatures, and the humans were not far behind in their abilities to be cruel, but for most of them respect was due to the creatures that gave away their life to feed another. Only the lowliest of youkai, the weakest ones with a mind clouded by darkness would dismember and torture their prey in such a way. When he looked at the display of gratuitous violence, the nature of Kitana came to light in his mind: she was nothing but a low-level youkai, with so little youki it was unoticeable, a creature that deserved to be killed and nothing more. He was seriously starting to reconsider his decision not to kill her, when something truly unexpected happened. Having let go of the disgusting cadaver of her prey, she was holding her abdomen with her bloodied hands, wobbling, before falling to her knees beside the carcass.

Kitana felt sick, very sick. This poor beast had nothing in it that she could feed upon, even after wounding it severely to make its heart beat faster and project the so-needed nourishment into her, the nature of its blood never changed. There was nothing in there that she could absorb. Now her entire body was rebelling and telling her clearly that she should have followed her instincts, should have gone after the faraway preys and left this pitiful animal alone. Her whole body was violently rejecting the meal she just ingurgitated, and she fell forward, one hand on the ground while the other held her retching stomach. It would be an immense relief to rid herself of its contents, but she fought not to surrender to the nausea. Not in front of Sesshomaru, who was looking at her as dispassionately as always, while his soul sent waves after waves of intense disgust toward her. She was ashamed of herself, her body was hurt and now poisoned, and her soul ached under the judgement of this stranger who looked down on her. Bravely, she fought back the nausea once more and she rose, straightened her back and gave the taiyoukai a challenging glare. When he did not answer back, as immobile as a statue, she started walking back to the camp, or more precisely to the river near the camp, pausing once every two steps to rest against the trunk of a tree.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author note:

Please read and review. I would really like to know your opinions about this story.

**Chapter 5**

Sesshomaru did not speak to her that evening, or the day after. Even though she could clearly feel he was totally concentrating his attention to her being, he was excellent at hiding it and barely even looked her way. When she was looking, at least. He ignored her superbly and Kitana gladly returned the favour, not really knowing what attitude to adopt toward him.

Her body was still mending itself from the intense fight against the army of the red-eyed sorceress. The armour that she formed out of her clothes had prevented any fang or claw to rip her skin open, but the impacts of the blows hurt her badly. Broken ribs had been repaired in no time, but her inner organs were tender and needed more time to regain their natural functions. Her disgusting meal did nothing to help either, as she had to fight against vomiting for most of the first night and still got some bouts of nausea now and then. Even the strain she put on her muscles wasn't yet healed and all she wanted to do at that point was to curl up in a faraway corner under the rocky ceiling and disappear, engulfed in the pain that plagued her body and soul.

It was not something that the young child would let happen, though. Their mind to mind contact created when Kitana helped the girl to heal have had side effects, the most prevalent being the blind trust and attachment of the small Rin for her, a deadly predator.

"Kitana-sama, how can you stay attached to the ceiling? Are you like a fly? Flies can walk upside down you know, just like you! But you have no wings, so you are not a fly. Maybe a frog? Rin saw a frog once sleeping under a leaf, and Jaken-sama said that it had second-cups under its toes. Do you have cups under your toes? I wonder if Jaken-sama has cups under his toes too, he looks just like a toad, we should try and stick him on the ceiling beside you."

Kitana couldn't help but smile at the child's naivety and inquisitive personality. She uncurled her body and descended to the ground, where she sat cross-legged before the standing child. An intense golden gaze fell upon her at that moment. So, she thought, that is what it takes to make him acknowledge my presence.

"Can I hug you now Kitana-sama? Are your wounds healed?"

Slowly shaking her head, she tried not to deceive the young girl while not provoking the ire of her lord. He refused to kill her, even if she begged and coaxed him to, but he was preparing something and would surely not hesitate to hurt her if he felt that she was a threat to this child. She was in enough pain as it was.

"No Rin, I'm afraid it's better if you don't touch me. With my fangs and claws and spikes I could hurt you very easily."

"Oh but you wouldn't, would you Kitana-sama? Rin wants to thank you."

With a smile, the black creature tried to reassure the child.

"You thanked me already Rin, don't worry about that."

"Oh no, not for saving me. Rin wanted to thank you for staying with us. It will be much more fun travelling with you around to play in the water, master Jaken never plays in the water. Do you think it means he is not a toad after all? Toads like water, and mud, and swamps, and I don't think master Jaken does."

She spent the rest of the afternoon resting there, listening to the joyous endless chatter of the child. It was highly interesting for her to watch the interactions of the girl with the other members of their group. The contrast between her sunny, lively disposition and the silent contained violence of the lord or the bad-mouthed, sour toad was striking and Kitana couldn't help wondering why this child was amongst them. She shared none of the features of Sesshomaru so she discarded any familial bonds right away. Rin was seemingly in adoration before the tall alabaster creature, for a reason she couldn't fathom, and it made it all more interesting.

She took a nap while the group, or rather the kappa and the girl, ate a lunch as the sun was setting. The heat of the day quickly dissipated, replaced by the camp fire crackling warmth. She woke up about midnight, stirred awake by a change in the general atmosphere. A subtle change that she couldn't really pinpoint, but the feeling of oppression that she sensed all day long dimmed somewhat and it was enough to make her breathe with more ease.

Accompanying the solitude of the night came back her darker thoughts. The gentle and harmless chatter of the child and her light sleep had pushed them away, bringing a dim sunlight to her universe bathed in twilight, but now it was back full force. Sighing, Kitana rose to her feet and exited the shelter, hoping that the crisp air of the night would help her to feel better.

It was then, on the second night after the hunt that he came to her. For an hour or so she had been laying on her back atop the rocky roof of the camp, arms crossed behind her head so her crest pushing on the ground wouldn't bring discomfort to her. She was there, looking at the night sky, when he approached her slowly and sat upon a rock, within arm's reach of her. He took some time to inspect the sky with her, as if a greater truth was hidden beyond the stars. Minutes passed, then half an hour, before he broke the silence.

"Kitana", he said, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. He counted up to ten before her head turned his way and her eyes caught his. Eyes that seemed filled with sadness, even to an impervious demon lord, but also with defiance. She knew her heavy-handed display with the deer was still fresh in his mind and that he was in a turmoil over it, never freeing her from his gaze but never talking to her either. She hated her very nature at the moment, ashamed of herself as she had rarely been before, and she did not really know why. After all, she had nothing to prove to him. It had taken her years to accept what she was, to live with this reality without burdening herself with guilty feelings, and it was not a pompous demon lord living in caves in a barbaric place who would put this hardly-gained acceptance back in question again. Or would he?

He continued with what he had to say, obviously trying not to confront her openly. She couldn't understand why, but to him it was clear. If he angered her, she would close up to him and it was not the good time for that attitude.

"You are not youkai". It was a fact, not a question. She knew it, and she breathed deeply before answering. Maybe he deserved the truth, or a watered down version at least.

"I am not".

The great dog youkai took his time. She was no more talkative about herself than earlier, but this time he would hope for an opening. He had been kind to her, in his own way, by trying to feed her and letting her live after her dirty slaughtering of the deer, and he wished that she would not be impolite enough to disregard that fact. She was in his debt, deeply.

He had spent the previous night and the following day wondering about her. He was not one to be easily disturbed from his ways, his quest for power and his hunt for Naraku being his foremost priorities, but on the other hand he was in no hurry and had all the time in the world to accomplish his destiny. That fact was clear to him, and from times to times bouts of boredom washed over him. His curiosity had been awakened by the newcomer as much, if not more than his wariness. Too many questions had been stirred in the last few days to be left unanswered by a rash death sentence, and this time was as good as any other to investigate her. He needed to know more about her, so he could decide how to judge her, what to do with her. If she was truly the monster he thought, then his honour wouldn't be sullied if he killed her himself. And if she wasn't, maybe she could be put to a use rather than hastily discarded. Contrarily to his father and his half-brother, he was not one to blindly go into battle without knowing his enemy. He was a coldly calculating being, and the gears in his mind had been turning at full speed for a few days now. He decided to give her a chance to answer him.

"What, exactly, are you?"

His gaze never faltered from her prone form as she gathered her thoughts. It seemed painful for her to share more about her, but he would tolerate no more secrets, no more deceit.

Sighing deeply, she sat up, straightened her back and turn to meet his eyes.

"I am an... experiment gone wrong. I ended up here by accident, in a misguided attempt at fleeing from what ailed me. And now, I cannot choose another path, for all the doors closed behind me. And so I am lost, Angelus."

Her voice was almost too low to be heard, her plea for understanding almost too subtle to be recognized for what it was, but somehow he did. He heard her, and he wanted to hear more. Nodding, he encouraged her to continue. Her eyes left his golden gaze to look far in the horizon, haunted by things they saw faraway from there.

"I come from a world beyond understanding, a world your imagination could simply not conceive. A forsaken world. In this place, powerful beings are fighting terrible wars to obtain even more power. Amongst them, a small group decided that a certain species of bestial monsters, called the Aliens, would constitute the perfect weapon to terrorize their enemies and bring them final victory."

His eyes reduced to slits at her blatant insult of his intelligence, he reigned in his temper. The story was apparently difficult for her to recall, and no threats from him would arrange the situation. He was beginning to understand the way her mind worked, and forcing her to do something did not appear to be the best way to go.

"Go on."

With circumspection, Kitana searched the correct words and the way to present them. It had been so long since she told this story to another being that it somehow felt unreal to her, as in a fantasy, and she was far from sure if it was a good decision to share it with him. It was so unclear if this man was an enemy, a danger, or something else, she was unsure of the correct attitude to adopt towards him. She wanted to hate him for refusing her plea for a peaceful death, for not helping when she was assaulted by the horrifying mob of strange creatures, for pushing her to eat disgusting stuff and then be the witness of her humiliation. She wanted to hate him, but she also had a deep need for companionship and acceptance. Weighting the possible consequences of her honesty, she found out that she didn't care after all. If the last thing she did before dying was to share her story, even with an enemy, then be it.

Her back straightened with her new resolve and her gaze left the faraway star to fall back upon the face of her unlikely companion. For the first time since she met him, she took the time to attentively detail his person. The youkai was almost ethereal, with his long shiny silver hairs that reflected the moonlight in a soft halo. The stripes upon his cheeks and the tint on his eyelids, although of a colour that could be qualified of feminine, brought out the angular yet soft set of his cheeks, and the result was a deep and strong sense of masculinity. His nose and ears had beautiful proportions, like they were carved by a master sculptor used to nothing but perfection, and his pale complexion added the final touch to the picture of a godly being, far away from earthly preoccupations. The eyes, though, with the gold shimmering of the irises and the slit of the pupils that reminded her strangely of her own dark yellow eyes, were what brought all this work of art to life. They were the only thing about him that betrayed his inner self, even though he was a master at schooling his expressions. She dived into these eyes, shattering the barriers that so often stopped her from sharing the story of her origins.

"They experimented, trying to obtain the perfect predator and gain control over it. In the process they soon realized that these beasts they bred were too savage to be tamed, too resilient to be broken. But giving up was not a possibility for them, the word failure was not a part of their vocabulary. They played games even gods shouldn't play, trying to crossbreed their filthy beasts with more intelligent, manageable beings. And thus I was born, out of their desire to annihilate whoever dared to face them."

Her breathing was slow and deep, the air of the night playing on her skin, soothing her.

"In the beginnings they considered me a failure. Even though I possessed all the physical abilities of the Aliens allied with a mind intelligent enough to be trained, they could not replicate me. They wanted an army, and they obtained a lone soldier. More than that, I showed no desire to fight or to destroy anything, except when… I… fed, which was a rare occurrence. As a child I was fascinated with beauty and life, and when they showed me their monsters I was terrified. However, as I grew up they quickly discovered that there was a link between me and their colony of Aliens. I could feel their presence, sense their outrage at being imprisoned, and taste their hunger for blood and revenge. I could direct it at whatever I wanted, for those creatures obeyed my very thoughts, revered my very presence. And my creators noticed it.

They started to use me in their experiments, breaking me, training me in stealth and close-combat techniques so I could eventually accompany a group of monsters in a sort of commando unit from hell. Of course I rebelled, but they quickly silenced me. So I did their dirty work, becoming a skilled assassin, leader of a growing group of freaks capable to wipe away a nation."

She was brought back to the present by a wave of ire and disbelief. Sesshomaru was still looking at her, his bland mask of indifference hiding perfectly his reaction to her words. But to one who could sense emotions, he was as easy to read as an open book.

"How could they enslave you and force you to act against your will?"

Taking her time, Kitana weighted her options. The taiyoukai had obviously started to consider her a creature more powerful than he first thought, and as far as she could tell it was probably good. But now he wouldn't be fooled by untruths and omissions. One couldn't control someone like her by using regular means and he knew it. Slowly, she reached for her neck band. She touched the black jewel in the center and the band disappeared, as if absorbed by the central jewel.

Her neck under the collar was scarred with deep gashes, an inch wide and half an inch deep. One of Sesshomaru's brows flew up in his bangs.

"They put a collar on me when I was still much weaker than them. The… powers you witnessed grew only after I escaped from them, but my quickly developing physical abilities told them that I would be too much for them to handle safely in a near future. They took no chance and collared me when I was still young and trusting. This collar had the power to discharge shocks similar to thunderbolts. It was not strong enough to kill me, but the pain was intense. If I tried to remove it, the shocks would send me into seizures and unconsciousness. My masters could activate it at will when they were close to me, or if I attacked them."

Sesshomaru thought about a similar collar that he knew of, a collar that hung around his half-brother's neck. Its power was too weak to subjugate him, a noble and great taiyoukai, but he almost shuddered at the idea of the downward pull being replaced by a thunder shock. A shock strong enough to permanently scar a creature who took less than two days to heal from a deep abdominal wound. Yes, as much as he loathed admitting it, such a device may have the potential to subdue him as well. He nodded, signalling her to continue.

Kitana was having great difficulties with the rest of her story. She never told anyone that part of her life, and it hurt so much to remember these details that she almost decided not to. But the understanding she felt coming from Sesshomaru a moment ago pulled the words out of her mouth in an unstoppable flow.

"I rebelled one time, despite the collar, as you can see from the scars", she said replacing her golden ornament. "From that moment their trust in me was highly reduced and as I was healing from the blasts, they decided to start again with their regular training program. My masters employed, or should I say abducted, numerous animal trainers, the best they could find. Their work was going nowhere, except from one trainer who managed to obtain results with the creatures using a mix of carefully weighted rewards and punishments. When I finally awakened, months later, I met with this promising trainer as my masters wanted me to test the technique. I knew from the start that once the security walls were removed the Aliens would forget all their training and kill the trainer, along with anybody stupid enough to be in the vicinity, but I decided to play their game and did not tell them the truth. The trainer and I quickly became friends, and soon something else grew between us. We became lovers."

She paused, as if trying to assemble her thoughts. A great sadness had fallen heavily upon her shoulders.

"I learned that my love was not really an animal trainer, but a spy doubled with an assassin, sent to gather information on what was going on in the facility. The bestial species from which I am issued is a universal taboo, it is highly forbidden to breed or hide them. Governing authorities had noticed some signs that worried them about the place, and they sent a spy to investigate. However, once employed by this group, one would stay there forever, or leave dead. My beloved was as trapped as I was.

We managed to find a way to escape the place. My love was well-versed in the type of restraint they used on me, and soon my collar was neutralized. I then used my control over the beasts to create a diversion so we could flee from the place."

"A diversion?"

She met his amber eyes and nodded.

"You have seen the acid that flows under my skin. This trait comes from the Aliens, they are all like that. I pushed them to attack one of their own kind. It was against their very instincts but they obeyed me as blindly as they usually did. The acid ate at the walls and the floor of their prison, freeing them, and soon they were wreaking havoc in the entire place. While we both escaped and destroyed every possible issue they may have used, my masters were killed, or used to produce more monsters, and –"

"Explain yourself. Produce more monsters?" he asked.

Kitana immediately regretted saying those words; they just slipped before she realized what she had done. She had not intended to tell him about the way her kind bred.

"Well… The… Aliens live in large colonies. They are all sterile females, from different casts: soldiers, builders, caretakers. They can't breed; they are all born from one fertile female called the queen."

"Like ants. And termites" he added. She looked puzzled, but then nodded.

"If you say so. The Alien queen lays thousands of eggs, but what is inside the eggs will not become an adult. It is merely a vessel, a creature born to carry the true egg holding the future adult. When this thing feels the presence of a living creature nearby that could serve as a host, it then crawls out of the queen's egg and attach itself to the chosen host. The true egg is laid inside the host, and the embryo feeds out of it. When ready to be born, the new Alien will burst the chest of its host from the inside, killing it. These monsters are a parasitic species, the worst kind of parasites."

Sesshomaru was not bothered by her story as much as she anticipated. No weak hatchling could attach itself to him and lay an egg inside him, that was simply ridiculous. Humans, on the other hand, would easily fall prey to such a predatory species. Nodding again, he signalled that he was ready for the rest of her story. His opinion of her was slowly morphing into something new, far from the disgust he felt on the day of the hunt, but he still did not know what to do with these new facts.

"So with all this commotion we managed to escape unscathed. We spent the next ten years together. I was hell-bent to find and destroy every being that had a part to play in this experiment. Our future together was doomed before it even started, because of my damned obsession with revenge. We soon became outlaws, as the ones we slaughtered were often highly-positioned in the government or in well-respected businesses. One day we got caught by our enemies, and my love was… killed… by… them."

It was becoming highly difficult to continue from now on.

"To make a long story short, I escaped alone, and while running away I arrived here. I tried to go on, helped by some kind people, I learned your language and some of your customs, but the desire to live was not burning in me anymore. I tried to put an end to my life but I discovered I couldn't do it. I stopped feeding myself and became weak, and one day when I could not live with my memories anymore I crawled inside a cave, going as deep as I could, and I lost consciousness. I rarely had dreams, of some people coming close to me in my sleep, I knew my soul was put in contact with them somehow, but I did not want to awaken for that. Then your ward touched my soul, shared her memories with me, her intent to live. And she left, letting me fall back into slumber. When I was attacked, it was the first time I came back to reality after all this. I feel as if everything happened a week ago, as if I just… lost… my beloved. And I don't know if I truly want to leave all that past behind me and move forward. I don't have any reasons to. I am not like Rin."

The moon was now shining brightly at the horizon. The night had come to the point were nocturnal creatures fell silent, preparing themselves for the day to come, and the diurnal insects and animals were not yet awakening. The silence was perfect, only broken once in a while by a light breeze meeting with playful foliage.

"Your story is… unusual, to say the least. But do you think This Sesshomaru is a fool?"

His hardened gaze set upon her, he waited for the answer. She merely sat there, confused by the sudden and violent change in his mood, so he continued.

"I am an old creature by human standards. I know of many things, things happening in foreign lands far away from here. I met with weird creatures over the centuries. Some of them told This Sesshomaru about even weirder beings living deep down the oceans or never leaving the shelter of underground territories. But not once I heard about a species such as the one you described. Never have I heard of this parasite, of this ordeal happening centuries ago amongst the higher circles of society when you slaughtered your once masters with your partner. If what you said were true, then words would have spread and your story would be already known to This Sesshomaru."

He had been a fool for listening to her. The accents of truth in her voice were only a reflect of her own dishonesty, a foretaste of the betrayal that was to come if he kept her close to his group. His mind was set, and as he was beginning to rise over her, his hand on Tokijin's handle, her whispers stopped him.

"That's because… it happened far away from here. Far away from your planet itself. You see, Sesshomaru, I have been born at inconceivable distances from your homeland. I come from amongst the stars, and from the stars I have fallen."

Saying the great lord was astonished was not exaggerating. Her already unbelievable story was now taking another twist, even more ridiculous. Even more surprising was that she seemed to believe every word she said, as if she was not even aware that she was describing a fantasy. For her, it was no lie but the truth that she was telling. Seven centuries spent in a cocoon had probably damaged her mind irreversibly. Pitiful. Decided to put an end to her misery, he was cut short by her voice.

"I know it must sound terribly stupid for someone as powerful as you are to believe that there are other worlds, let alone other forms of life, out there. Please listen to what I have to say before judging me. In reality, your world is not unique. From where I come from, we know that worlds are only spherical rocks that float in a cold, void space, revolving around a sun. All these stars that we see in the night sky are suns similar to yours, but so far away from here that their heat cannot reach us. Around them are other worlds, most of them frozen and sterile, but once in a while a world lucky enough to be coated with air and heated by a sun, does harbour life."

She wanted him to believe her, but she really did not know how to make it sound true. Contact with primitive worlds was strictly prohibited and only advanced worlds were approached by the governing authorities of the universe. The ones who made the contact were highly trained in diplomacy and they surely had much better ways to explain the universe that she ever would. But she had to try.

Sesshomaru was puzzled. Some of the things she said were familiar to him. As a taiyoukai of great power, he had tried to fly to the moon and never managed to reach it. As he elevated in the sky, the iciness of the atmosphere and the lack of air had always put a stop to his explorations. There was also the fact that very few knew that the earth was in reality round, and not flat as was the popular human belief. He had seen it for himself: seen from high up the horizon is curved. His own father, in his youth, had travelled around the world in a straight line and ended up back in their land. He even heard of some advanced human theories that were newly developed and the most recent one, by a westerner called Copernicus if he remembered well, was professing exactly what Kitana was talking about. She did not seem to be capable of flight, and she surely hadn't been around long enough to hear the latest human theories, so he was left to believe that she was speaking the truth. A disturbing truth, but true nonetheless.

"Go on."

Relieved, Kitana continued.

"Multiple species inhabit planets scattered across space, and some of them met and formed a central governing body, with laws that controlled wars and trade. I was born on a ship that sailed from world to world, and when I fled I did it on a similar ship. I crashed it in the ocean near the coast of your land".

"How come you are the first being from those outer worlds that I meet in all my life?"

She felt disbelief, but also a genuine interest coming from him.

"Do not take it wrongly, but your world is considered too primitive to be contacted. It is forbidden to come here, at all cost. When I fled I didn't care where I would end up. I used a diversion so my enemies would have a hard time following me, and if they did they simply couldn't come here without facing death penalty. They probably assumed I died in the crash and they moved on."

Once again they fell in a companionable silence. Kitana was nervous about what he would think of her revelations, but she felt nothing coming from him that put her in danger. She waited for him to break the silence.

"Are your wounds healing well?"

Surprised, she answered.

"Well, I get better every day. It does not hurt as much as it used to."

He nodded and added "Then your training will start tomorrow. Take some rest."

He rose and left her to her solitude.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sesshomaru was brought out of his musings when the little Rin excited whispers reached his ears. He had let Kitana sleep on her rock when she finally gave him the answers he was seeking and joined the rest of his group underneath the protection of the rocky slab. The black creature, even if her outward appearance and her ill temper screamed of danger, had a softer core and carried a heavy burden. He was not about to trust her, but he knew that she would probably not try anything against his ward or himself and if she would, he could overpower her very easily. This certitude, combined with the strain brought by the total lack of sleep he endured since the day he brought Rin to the cocoon, brought his vigilance down. As the sun rose, he found his attention caught up by the first shimmers of light at the horizon. The manifestations of nature, be they as insignificant as a drop of water falling from a leaf at dawn, or the last rays of sun turning the horizon into a blazing work of art, had always fascinated him and brought him in a contemplative state.

Turning his eyes toward the source of the noise, he met a strange sight. His ward was very excited, but somehow she managed to keep almost silent, tiptoeing her way to him, her little body almost shivering in her efforts not to make any noise. She repeated her words and if he had not had an excellent hearing he might not have understood.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Please please follow Rin! You have to see that! You have to seeeeeeee!"

Respecting her evident efforts for silence, he asked her in a low whisper "See what, Rin?"

The child almost rolled her eyes. Her lord was making them loose some precious time and maybe they would miss the beautiful show. "Please my lord! Just follow Rin!"

Amused he rose and silently followed in her foot steps. Seeing this boisterous child so bent not to make a noise was funny in a way, and he wondered what caused her to act that way. Probably a bunny with her babies, or a covey of quails eating in the meadow. For that was where they were heading: toward the small field sited beside the stream at the foot of the stony hill.

As they approached the meadow, the child unexpectedly headed for a line of trees and bushes, behind which he detected the presence of Jaken. The kappa was mesmerized by whatever he saw on the other side of the trees, his beak wide open. He did not even turn to acknowledge his master's arrival. No fluffy bunny could have that kind of effect on the kappa, Sesshomaru thought.

Now curious, the taiyoukai looked at his ward, who was pointing wide-eyed toward something immobile in the clearing ahead.

"Look Sesshomaru-sama! She is dancing!"

The child then pushed some branches aside to improve her view of the scene while not giving her presence away, and returned her attention to whatever fascinated her, completely ignoring her lord.

Sesshomaru followed his ward and retainer's gazes, trying to see beyond the branches and leaves that obscured his view what was so fascinating to them. When he finally saw, he did not understand Rin's and Jaken's excitation. For the creature that was standing in the clearing was none other than Kitana, and she was certainly not "dancing": she was frozen in a fighting stance, her body completely still. A poor fighting stance at best, with her feet not enough wide apart, her eyes closed, and her thighs muscles clearly tiring from the prolonged effort. As he was about to end this farce, she moved.

Despite her physical weakness, Kitana managed to infuse some impression of power into her slow and fluid movements, reminding him of traditional martial arts. The sort of boring martial arts one used to meditate rather than fight. She extended and flexed her body alternatively, slowly turning from one side to the other with exaggerated movements of the arms. He couldn't decide if she was supposed to be blocking or attacking; as Rin stated, the whole thing looked more like a dance than fighting arts.

Becoming rapidly bored by the display, the creature having done three full circles around the small field, he was about to turn tail and leave when she suddenly added a clear block to her routine. He cocked his head a little to the side, for the movement had been very well executed for a weak woman, and decided to wait and see if it was an accident or not. If it was, any attempt at training her was undoubtedly doomed or promised to be a long and tedious task. Really, even if she was nearly killed she fared much better than that under the attack of Kagura's lower demons.

In the clearing, Kitana increased the pace of her movements and conducted a series of hard blocks on the air in front of her, always turning clockwise. Her eyes were still closed, and her furrowed brows gave away the intense concentration she was in. For whatever reason that Sesshomaru could not understand, this slow dance was demanding a high level of focus.

As her movements were becoming faster and stronger, a curious phenomenon happened. The taiyoukai first thought nothing of it, but when his ward suddenly held her breath his attention increased. At each of Kitana's block, a small gust of wind seemed to prolong her movement. She used a fast swipe of her tail above the ground to send some dead leaves and flowers in the air around her, and each of her movement seemed to aim at keeping the vegetals in suspension in the center of the circle. She was not succeeding easily though, and once in a while everything fell back to the ground, but she could keep them floating for longer moments at a time.

So, she was a wind user, was she? And a poor one at that. He had seen better control from many infant youkai. Concentrated on the unusual display, the taiyoukai almost failed to notice that the water from the stream was also reacting to her movements. Kitana added sharp attacks to her dance now, a swift kick often following a block with her arms. As much as her blocks seemed to manipulate the air, her fluid attacks detached tiny droplets of water from the stream, sending them amongst the flowers and leaves. The way the water caught the morning light while it circled in the air in the center of the clearing was creating an otherworldly atmosphere. As Kitana once again lost control over the whirling elements and let them fall on the ground, he intervened.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked with a strong voice, his brows frowned aggressively.

Kitana snapped out of her trance to find that she had spectators. She was tired, as whatever she was doing was eating at her energy, and she did not find it amusing at all when she realized how vulnerable her little session left her, completely unaware of her surroundings. She answered sharply to Sesshomaru's inquiry.

"I am training, as you asked me to". A brow disappeared in silver bangs.

"This, was not training, woman. This could not even be called dancing, and this Sesshomaru fails to see how dancing would help you fight off an encounter with Naraku. I highly doubt he would be as enthralled by your art as my ward and retainer seem to be".

Kitana becoming more and more irritated by his know-it-all attitude. In the past she had been a respected warrior and no matter how weak she had become, it frustrated her to be considered a mere beginner, a wannabe with no skills. Who was he to act like that, she thought.

"Pardon me, "my lord", but I was training. I cannot fight an enemy if I do not have control over my powers. I was trying to find the flow –"

"Find the flow?" he said in a bored tone. The explanation did not interest him in the slightest.

"Yes, find the flow." His disdainful attitude fueled her anger. "The best way for me to use my powers in a fight is by channeling the energy of the world that surrounds me through my body, and transform it into attacks. However each world has its own flow of energy, a unique frequency and amplitude that I have to adapt to if I want to be able to use it. So far I have not succeeded, and all I can do is burn up my own energy in battle, which gives the results you saw in the battlefield."

"Nonsense. You are not here to find whatever flow you are looking for, but to regain your physical strength. What good would it make to control leaves and flowers if your muscles are too weak to keep you standing straight, if your punches do as much harm as a strike from a kitten? Take your fighting stance now, we shall begin."

"Why should I?" she asked defiantly, crossing her arms. "I've never been good at hand-to-hand combat. It's not going to change in a fortnight just because you, Mighty Lord, decide so. It's my powers I need to regain; physical strength will come back by itself with time."

Sesshomaru didn't give her any chance to insult him further and made his move, claw tips glowing with an unhealthy green. The energy whip caught Kitana totally unprepared, coiling around her right ankle and pulling it upward. The creature fell on her back ungracefully.

"Ouch! Hey, what's your problem?"

Another whiplash caught her by surprise, slashing her left biceps and cutting right through her clothes and skin. A threatening hiss left her lips as the vile yellowish acid that ran underneath her skin found its way to the surface and dripped to the ground. An acrid smell filled the air when the burned grass and soil.

The third attack from Sesshomaru met with air. Kitana understood that he would not stop until she retaliated or at least tried to. Her right hand protecting her injury, she jumped back to the edge of the field and waited, not letting the taiyoukai out of her sight.

The wound was small, and her skin was soon covering it again. Kitana removed her hand from her biceps and shook away the remaining acid that clung to her fingers, looking bitterly to Sesshomaru. The droplets of liquid hit a tree beside her and with a sinister hiss started eating at the bark, then the wood.

The youkai was totally immobile, acting just as nothing had happened. His eyes trained on her form were the only detail that gave him away.

"Rin, Jaken. Leave us."

Tiptoeing away from the scene, Jaken and Rin retreated to the camp, where they could safely observe whatever training was going on. And where Jaken could avoid being stepped on, kicked or harmed in any way. Rin did not like the way her lord angered her friend, but at the same time she was pleased that something made him react. Something else than an enemy. He was always lost in his thoughts, with no friend to talk to or to play with, and she was feeling bad for him. She knew he appreciated her antics and that kicking Jaken once in a while entertained him a little, but she was glad that now he had a purpose other than revenge over Naraku. She started humming to herself and gathered some flowers in an attempt at a crown for her weird new friend.

In the clearing, Kitana took this short time to morph her clothes into an armor not unlike the one she created against the army of youkai. Gone was the fancy suit, replaced by an elastic, hardened material that hugged her fragile body tightly. Her skin had to be protected against other tears, and her internal organs that were still mending couldn't withstand a battle right away. The spears appeared on her arms and knees, and the edges of her tail and back spines became as cutting as a sword.

"I won't fight you, Sesshomaru. This is not my style; it's not what I need. I-"

Her ranting was cut short by the sudden apparition of the said youkai a few feet from her right side. Her widened eyes saw the slight frown on his brows before being shut down under a sharp pain. He used her distraction to slam his knee right in her abdomen, before retreating back at his former spot, leaving her breathless on the ground.

"Do not pretend to know what you do or don't need. Prepare yourself, you are a pathetic opponent."

The first attacks from Sesshomaru caught her totally by surprise. This guy was fast! Kitana had blatantly underestimated his strength, especially considering his lack of an arm, and she had been helpless at repelling his blows. At least the hit with the knee had been on her armor, not her regular clothes, and the incredible pressure of it had scattered throughout her whole body rather than concentrated on her abdomen, where it would have wrecked havoc. He wasn't a talker, wouldn't listen to what she wanted to say, so she did what her instincts pushed her to do. She rose on her feet and crouched low, her tail slashing around her and a hand on the ground.

That was what Sesshomaru was waiting for. One moment he was calmly waiting for her to collect herself, and the next he was right before her, striking at her from the front with his claws. She managed to duck the attack by jumping backward amongst the trees but it was only a fake one; the real strike came once again from his knee and caught her totally by surprise right in her left side. The brute force of the impact sent her flying four feet away and a tree stopped her course. Luckily for her, it was the same tree her acid had started to destroy moments earlier and it couldn't withstand the pressure of the hit; with a thundering sound the noble vegetal lost its life and fell on the ground.

Kitana was beyond pain, bruises all over her body. Not only Sesshomaru was extremely fast, but his blows were overwhelming. However, she was a proud creature and couldn't accept to be that easily humiliated. As soon as she hit the tree, she prepared to retaliate but when she turned her opponent was already gone, smirking at her in his irritating way from the other side of the clearing.

She charged nonetheless, even though she knew it was hopeless: he saw her coming, dodged and punched her in the back, just like a cat playing with a mouse. Hissing, she tried another attack, which was countered as easily as the first one. Again, and again.

Kitana was not having a good time. She decided to wait for Sesshomaru's attacks to block them and somehow counter-attack, but the taiyoukai was right: her body was too weak, her muscles too frail to be effective in battle. When she tried to outrun him, she found him right in front of her. When she tried to strike, her blows met with air. And when she wanted to dodge or block, she failed miserably and became airborne each and every time. Her frustration grew with her weariness, and soon she found herself exhausted, not able to react to Sesshomaru's charges. Smirking disdainfully, he left her lying down in the now enlarged clearing when he saw that she clearly had learned her lesson.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru spent the remainder of the day standing atop the rocky ledge, his hairs and fur pelt moving gracefully along with the winds. To the onlooker, he could easily pass as a daydreamer, but in reality his keen sense of smell was put to the test as he sifted through the infinity of fragrances brought to him by the afternoon's winds.

Naraku's stench was what he was tirelessly searching for even though he now knew perfectly well that the hanyou he despised so much was in total control of that smell. Whenever he could get a glimpse of it, he knew it was only a lure used by his enemy to attract him. And into each trap he walked unfazed, for such a weak opponent posed no threat to him. Frowning, he recalled each and every time that the cursed monster survived their encounter only because of the protection of his barrier. Without it, he thought, Naraku would be long gone. But this scent was absent on that day, as well as any of the underlings that followed and obeyed the hanyou.

Lazily, his eyes left the horizon to descend on the beings gathered at the foot of the hill. The diminutive youkai he used as a retainer and an output to vent his aggression on was tending to Ah-Un's saddlery, nervously eyeing the newest, unwilling addition to his growing group of companions who was sitting cross-legged on the ground a few meters away. The human child that was so attached to him chatted joyfully to her, but she didn't seem to answer any of the words, her eyes closed as if she was focusing on something. Or sleeping. He cocked his head to the side when he saw the braids of flowers coiled around each of Kitana's back spines. Really, the power of this child to find the fragrant plants even in places that appeared devoid of any of them was mesmerizing.

His shifting attention returned to the black female he so blatantly humiliated a few hours earlier. Surprisingly, she fought with valiance even though she was no match for him. He had thought she would be passive and let him maul her until she died. He would not have killed her, but she couldn't be sure about that and yet she battled against him like there was no tomorrow. Confusing, this will to live, considering her previous and unhealthy fascination with death. Could she be changing her mind?

**SSSSS**

The following days went on in a similar way. The morning sun rose on Kitana's slender and graceful figure, playing with the winds and the water around her in the clearing to Rin's utmost delight. Then Sesshomaru intervened and started to toss her around for hours, until she collapsed on the dirt floor. He would give her the rest of the day to recover from the training, hours that she would usually spend dozing near the fire or in the cold water basin underneath the waterfall, nursing her bruised flesh. His cruelty had no end, especially now that he knew the limits of her foreign and intriguing garments. The first strike with his energy whip had been the only one to break her skin. Once she morphed the clothes, he had not been able to spill her blood again. He even wondered at some of his strikes that should have ended up in broken bones, yet did not. The thin black armor seemed able to protect her from cutting strikes as well as blunt ones, to some extent. She was clearly in a lot of pain at the end of their sessions.

Kitana was used to this kind of training, as she experienced harsher treatment in her young days. She did not have any armor then, and everyday her masters invented new ways to attack her without breaking her skin. Surprisingly even to her, she was determined to improve herself as quickly as possible, to show this snobbish youkai that she would one day be the one to kick his ass. Survival was not on her mind, for she wouldn't have cared about it. Revenge, however, was a reward she couldn't wait to obtain.

She put the ends of the days to good use; when Sesshomaru finally tired of brutalizing her, she meditated to accelerate her recovery from his blows. Her body had excellent healing capacities, but it wasn't able to keep up with the speed at which it was damaged and she had to do all she could to help herself to recuperate.

However, there was a problem that she had not yet addressed since the episode with the deer, and it was her hunger. She knew that until she fed she could not gain any major improvement against her captor and she would never be totally healthy. She was at a loss at how to feed without him noticing it. Days turned into a week, then two, before any opening was available. The taiyoukai was keeping a very tight watch over her, especially at night, and she sensed no suitable preys in the vicinity; so she waited.

Sesshomaru became less vigilant over time. It was clear that his mind was drifting onto something else, for he spent more and more time perched atop the ledge exploring their surroundings with his trained senses. Kitana was improving; he couldn't deny it, for she was getting much better at avoiding his strikes. Her muscles were on the mend, and she was good to his little ward. He did not consider her a danger anymore.

On a night of the second week, her pleas were answered as the youkai put his retainer and dragon steed on guard duty to allow him some rest. He did not have much need for sleep, but since the day when Rin became too ill to travel by herself, he had not taken a single moment of rest. Kitana noticed it. She waited until she could feel his mind wandering away peacefully, and left the camp unnoticed by the two would-be guards.

She came back just before sunrise, feeling better than ever. Her peacefulness was short-lived though, as an extremely furious Sesshomaru met with her. She had felt his anger multiple times before, but never once his strong emotions appeared beyond his mask. This time however, he was obviously having great difficulties at controlling his reactions and on his face was pure fury.

"Where were you, woman?" he asked with a low, aggressive tone. She frowned and held her chin up at him, not cowering under the pressure of his gaze as he surely had anticipated.

"I needed to feed."

"I thought you finally understood how weak you were, and how easy it would be for Naraku to capture you. You just put everyone in danger by wandering alone by yourself. You should be thankful to be under This Sesshomaru's protection; or are you in such a hurry to become a slave, a mere part of the hanyou's body, that you had to go hunting alone?"

He was almost barking at her in his anger, and it was not something she was ready to accept. She would not fall under his control to escape the control of another. Her voice was a mirror of his own fury when she answered.

"Hear my words, Sesshomaru. There is no way I will ever hunt with you again. Your reaction last time was pitiful, as if you had never seen a creature be killed, and I do not want to feel your judgment upon me anymore. My ways clearly disgust you and I will never feel like a freak under your eyes again. Be aware that I am not as dumb as you think I am. I sensed no threat before leaving; no powerful beings were around to ambush me."

With a low growl he lunged at her in his fury, resolved to show her once again, more clearly than ever, how much training she still needed before being strong enough to face Naraku's underlings. However, he was in for a surprise. Her earlier meal had a strong effect on her and with her energies on their way to be replenished, she dodged his attack with grace and left him in the dust.

He retaliated with a furious series of attacks with his energy whip, and Kitana quickly covered herself in her armor. The long spears on her forearms clashed with the fast and endless strikes from the youkai's whip, none of them piercing her skin. She was still much weaker than he was and could never match his speed but she withstanded the pressure amazingly well. He could hardly believe the resistance of the weird clothes she wore, and his wonderings gave her an opening. With a fast swipe of her tail, she almost took his feet from underneath him. His fast reflexes caught her by surprise though as he moved out of the way at the last second. She then felt her waist wrapped in his length of fur, as if it was alive. He threw her away from him and followed after her, slamming her body into a tree with his right shoulder.

Their sparring went on for over an hour before they settled it. It was the most intense workout they ever had. For the first time, Sesshomaru was catching his breath, his tights burning under the pressure he put upon them. Kitana was faring much better than ever before; she was still able to walk when he left her alone. She did not manage to lend a single effective blow on him, but she succeeded to avoid the worst attacks and to receive the others with blocks from her arms, tail or legs rather than with her softer sides, stomach or back. All this sparring was a demonstration of exceptional defensive techniques, but no opponent found an offensive really effective against the other. It was almost a draw.

**SSSSS**

As the sky finally covered itself in pink and oranges hues under the light of the setting sun, Sesshomaru sensed a presence behind him. He had spent the whole day perched atop the ledge, still furious against Kitana for leaving his group and against himself for not being able to track her down. His trained sense of smell could easily detect his half-brother and his allies who were travelling less than a day away from there, but not the foreign creature and it infuriated him. He was thinking about appearing amongst their group to trigger a fight with the hanyou, which could be a good way to spend his pent-up frustration, when the sound of pebbles rolling underneath padded feet reached his ears.

"Sesshomaru", she said in a peaceful tone. "I won't thank you for this training that you force upon me. I won't apologize for leaving during the night either."

He turned his head slightly toward the ebony form that appeared at his left, malevolently slitting his eyes at her while remaining as immobile and stern as the stones around them.

"However, you need to know that I understand why you react this way, and I have a deep respect for what you do. It warms my heart to know that Rin has such a fierce protector and it is certainly not my will to endanger her in any way."

She paused for a moment, her words striking a chord in her silent companion. Sesshomaru remembered another being asking him if he had someone to protect, and as ridiculous the idea sounded all those decades ago, now he could say that he was beginning to understand. He had to admit that there were now two main motivations for all of his actions: getting revenge over Naraku and making sure Rin wouldn't be endangered. His quest for supreme power was not his priority anymore, becoming a means to an end instead of a goal in itself, and he was at a loss about how this change occurred to him.

"You have no trust in me, Sesshomaru, and I have none in you either. Nothing we have done so far could build trust. Nevertheless I'll do my best to accept your demands, if only you could keep something in mind. I will regain my strength, I swear, and I won't become a tool for any of your enemies, but I am not one you can gain control over by force. You won't compel me to stay here and endure your methods and your ways; it's a choice that is mine to make. And I choose to stay unless you tell me otherwise."

Long minutes passed before an answer was made, both of them standing still at the edge of the rock. Sesshomaru sensed the truth behind Kitana's words, and the difficulties she had with his overbearing presence. As much as he wanted to put her under his control, or to see her disappear totally from his sight, her honesty and desire to reach a compromise were met with his approval. She was offering him an honorable truce.

"Do as you wish."

After a deep, respectful bow, Kitana left his side.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 7**

Sesshomaru didn't linger much longer in the calm area that sheltered his group for the last weeks. Things were on the move elsewhere on these lands and he needed to be where it would all unfold, whether a new member had apparently joined his crew or not.

The kappa and dragon were seemingly happy to go back to their usual wanderings. Traveling through forests and plains was routine for them and for the child that blissfully followed the tall youkai everywhere, but not for Kitana. The foreign creature had not often been in direct contact with such a pure and untouched nature; its beauty and wilderness totally mesmerized her, somewhat dimming the hard, throbbing feelings that ate at her from inside. The small animals running in the trees and on the ground; the tiny insects, so blatantly unaware of the dangerous creatures that lived right beside them and could destroy them on a whim; the luxurious vegetation unspoiled by any type of pollution; everything around her sang a song of freedom. She could feel a strong desire to live coming from the more evolved forms of life, no matter how pointless or insignificant they were. The more she studied her surroundings, the more her sorrow and guilt seemed pathetic and unfounded compared to the joys that life could bring.

However much she was lost in her contemplation of nature's wonders, Kitana quickly learned to keep a part of her mind trained upon Sesshomaru. When they stopped to eat or to sleep, he never told them when he was ready to depart: he rose and left, without a warning. Rin was very good at keeping up with him, even at anticipating his moves, but the imp and Kitana were often left behind. She was much quicker than the diminutive youkai though and always caught up with the leader of the group, only using her ability to track energy signatures on a couple of occasions. The panicked screams of anxiety of the little kappa soon became music to her ears, and she took pleasure at disappearing amongst the foliage in the wrong direction so he couldn't follow her to get to his Lord.

Their routine was put back in place again, Kitana improving her strength and fighting style steadily. Her early morning meditation and attempts to adjust her energies to what she felt around her were starting to give results and were not draining her as much as they used to. The sparring sessions with Sesshomaru were still very hard on her for she was far from attaining his level of skills, but she took advantage of their surroundings to the fullest, hiding in the foliage and using the trees as shields against the powerful attacks from her partner. She was a skilled climber and her fighting style which used the three dimensions of her environment was seldom seen amongst demons. Even Sesshomaru, who could walk and fight as easily on air than on the ground, had not met many foes who used tactics like hers. It was refreshing for him, in a way, as novelty was not a common occurrence when one lived for centuries. However, without her ability to sense emotions Kitana would have no clue about his growing enjoyment of their sparring since the tall taiyoukai never let go of his stern, aloof mask.

Kitana's speed kept improving while her long unused muscles came back to life. Her agility amongst the branches and the trees impeded her opponent's ability to use his energy whip and after a few days he chose to wield his Tokijin against her. The seriousness of the situation caused her to stumble then stay glued into place when she saw the blade pointed toward her.

"What are you doing? Are you really going to use… this?"

The answer came quickly, as she was propelled against a tree by a wave of power coming directly from the blade.

"You don't take your training as seriously as you should. The Tokijin will make sure that you don't become overconfident."

"The Tokijin? Don't tell me you gave a name to your sword?" exclaimed Kitana as she lunged at the taiyoukai, and then took refugee higher up on a branch as her claws caught nothing but air.

"Indeed, and a fine name it is" he answered right from behind her before descending his weapon right upon her head. She wouldn't have enough time to dodge the attack, so she turned around and blocked the blade with her crossed forearms, the spikes on them stopping the sword from sliding lower toward her head.

Sesshomaru didn't imbued youki into the blade, but the weapon was still a terrible one, able to cut through matters as hard as his own father's fang. Kitana's armor adjusted to the structure of the sword and became hard enough to resist it, to Sesshomaru and the young woman's surprise. A battle of will and strength started, one of them pushing down with an increasing pressure and the other blocking with all her might. Sesshomaru was pleased to see how much stronger Kitana had become in the last weeks. Even though she was struggling when he used only a portion of his power, her arms shaking under the strain, she was already much stronger than any human and lower demons. He pushed slightly harder and Kitana, unable to withstand more, rolled on herself to disengage the sword and jumped toward the ground.

After the addition of the dreaded weapon to their sparring sessions, Sesshomaru and Kitana soon found themselves training further away from the child and the kappa. The trees were constantly getting in their way and none of them wanted a chopped trunk to fall upon their smallest companions.

On one of these excursions, Sesshomaru was pursuing Kitana through the trees, sending a blast of his Tokijin when he could get a glimpse of her movements, when he almost stumbled upon her. She had totally stopped paying attention to him; instead she was focused on something happening below the hill upon which they stand. He looked, puzzled, but only saw a group of five human women accompanied by a small detachment of soldiers. One of the women was singing and dancing on a music that another one was making on a long string instrument, possibly to entertain the other three which appeared to be of higher society. A large silken cloth was spread on the ground and food was scattered on it, with hot tea being prepared. They were having a picnic amongst the flowers. Testing the air, Sesshomaru detected the stench coming from a human village not far away from where they were, a larger village than what he usually saw.

Kitana was hypnotized by what she was seeing. Could it really be happening? Amongst the three noble women, one was different. When all the others sported black, straight hairs and almond-shape eyes, this one had a mane of curly red hairs cascading over her shoulders. Her traits were clearly foreign, but she spoke with the others as if their speech was her birth language. And she was looking directly at her, as if she could distinguish her form amongst the shadows of the forest.

Sesshomaru was growing tired of this interlude, but as he was turning away from the humans, a foul odour hit him, arousing his curiosity. Kitana reacted immediately by coming to his side, nervously looking at the woods at the foot of the hill. It was only then that they saw the nature of the newcomers: demons. Seven of them appeared between the trees away from them, walking in a line and taking utmost care to stay well hidden while approaching the humans. Apparently they were oblivious to Sesshomaru and Kitana's presence but determined to make a meal of human flesh.

To Sesshomaru's trained eyes and nose, the things were clearly feline demons of a kind or another, cats, panthers or the like. To Kitana, it wasn't that clear. They were obviously not human, as their fangs, claws and pointed ears demonstrated, but they wore various pieces of clothing and armours that were similar to what the humans and Sesshomaru were wearing. They all sported large green eyes with a slit pupil, a rather humanoid face with a snout just a little too elongated to be human. Below their noses and above their eyes, long whiskers emerged from their skin and short tails with tabby fur were visible behind their backs. Their brown and black hairs were short, spiked on two of the demons and just unkempt on the others. Their stance however distinguished them very clearly from the humans: the first once was half-raised, half-crouched, the next three were walking on all four, slowly advancing toward the humans, and the last ones were perched on low branches, making their way to their preys by jumping from tree to tree.

As Sesshomaru was about to turn and walk away from the scene, he realized that he had lost his partner. Kitana was nowhere to be seen. Irritated, the taiyoukai returned his gaze to the scene that was preparing to unfurl below the hill. The humans were still unaware of the drama about to happen and the cats were still slowly advancing toward their prey. However, a new actor was present in the scene. A slender, black silhouette that he would have missed had he not been used to searching for her while they fought was following the group of demons closely, stealthily, from higher up in the trees. Suddenly, she extended her tail and wrapped it tightly around the neck of the last of the cats, crushing the bones, tracheas and arteries in the process. The feline creature did not see the attack coming; before he realized what was happening he was already dead, his carcass stacked at the fork of a high branch.

Sesshomaru couldn't believe what he witnessed. He was angry of her initiative and couldn't understand why she would feel the need to attack the cat demons. They were clearly not interested in her, were not in her way or threatening her in any way, yet she was doing her best to decimate their ranks. How troublesome.

Below the hill, a second cat faced death as the long bony appendage plucked him from his branch. Sesshomaru couldn't even detect the smallest amount of fear in the cat's scent; the youkai had not seen his aggressor coming at all.

The five remaining cats did not notice the absence of two members of their group before they emerged from the trees, regrouping before attacking the humans. The soldiers reacted to their appearance by placing themselves between the youkai and the panicked women, swords unsheathed. The felines were about to lunge on their preys when suddenly, Kitana appeared before them, facing their group with a fierce look in her eyes. The cats were taken by surprise by her intervention and stopped to evaluate the newcomer. The largest one addressed her.

"Who are you, and what do you want? We are hunting, and you are interfering."

Not answering him, she struck. In the blink of an eye one of the cats found his legs entangled in his own bowels. He had not yet felt the pain of the attack or understood what happened to him when he saw one of his brothers' head rolling on the ground before his very eyes. Hissing and growling, the three other cats decided to let go of their human preys to concentrate their attack on this puny, irritating creature who dared attacking them.

Before them she stood again, her black bony tail wet with crimson blood, and then she crouched on the ground, preparing her next attack. Sesshomaru did not understand the reason of her reaction, as she was clearly not the intended prey of the cats. She should not have mingled with them, but now it was too late. She would get acquainted with the legendary strength and speed of feline demons, and he would certainly not intervene.

His eyes caught the whole scene unravelling before him. The humans fled as fast as they could, with the curious red-headed princess taking glances at their unlikely saviour over her shoulder. The three cats that were still able to fight quickly started their attacks, in a typically feline way. One of them directed a faint strike at Kitana, which left her side exposed to the attack of another member of the trio. She evaded the sharp claws brilliantly, but when she tried to fight back the demons jumped away in the treetops. Soon, the battle left the hillside to take place in the forest itself. Unhappy and almost sighing, Sesshomaru followed them.

It was then that the cats found their comrades bodies. Stopping dead in front of the corpses balancing amongst the high branches, a shocked look upon their faces, they left their backs exposed and Kitana took advantage of the opening. She came from above, jumping on one of the cats, but at the last moment they heard a branch that she hit and moved out of the way, descending to the ground. She landed right in the middle of their group, and was face to face with terribly infuriated demons who just found their group decimated in less than five minutes.

As Sesshomaru caught up with the belligerents, a fifth youkai met his end when he tried to attack Kitana from behind. He plunged upon her back as she dodged an attack from the two other cats, grabbed her body within his strong arms and took a vicious bite at her neck, just above her ornament. This bite would have been the end of ay other creature, but as soon as the fangs of the cat grazed her skin, yellow acid flowed in his mouth and started to hate away at his face. Screaming with agony, the cat used his hands to wipe away the offending liquid, with the expected results of having the acid now eating both his hands and mouth. Convulsed in pain, he ran to his brothers for assistance but died before reaching them, with half of his head reduced to a bloody, gelatinous mess. Too bad, thought Kitana, as she would have liked to see their face when their brother grabbed them with what was left of his hands, transferring the remaining acid on them…

The remaining cats were furious as they did not expect to meet such resistance from a demon so weak they couldn't even sense its youki. Kitana was having fun, despite her sore neck; this was a good occasion for her to vent the frustrations created by all the mock-fights with Sesshomaru. At least this time she could let her claws sink into their flesh as much as she wanted, and she appreciated it immensely.

Sesshomaru, despite his disinterested attitude, was surprised by the fierceness of her attacks. If he had not seen her torturing the deer, he would not have believed that she had this level of barbarism in her. He remembered when she told him that close combat was not her style, and now he understood. Stealth was never a technique he favoured or respected for none could match his strength or his speed, his approach was direct and brutal; but it suited her lithe form perfectly. She mixed close-combat techniques with fast, sneaky attacks and retreats. She was an assassin, not a real fighter, but she was skilled at what she did.

An enraged roar brought the taiyoukai back to reality. The smaller of the two remaining cats met his end mere feet away from him. As he rushed to attack Kitana, all claws ready to strike, she stepped aside and his momentum carried him forward, toward Sesshomaru's impassive form. Brutally the cat demon stopped dead in his track, wide-eyed and confused. As consciousness left him and he felt forward, the taiyoukai calmly examined what killed the cat: when he passed beside Kitana, she had seized his spinal column right between his shoulder plates and torn it out of its body, down to the hips. The last cat still standing let go of a terrible scream of rage when he understood that he had just lost his last sibling.

"Who are you, you whore, to dare attacking my blood brothers and me?"

Kitana did not answered; instead she kept her distances, crouched low with her deadly tail swirling around her.

The remaining cat was flabbergasted by what had happened so fast around him. This shrew, this wench had slaughtered his brothers without as much as a provocation from them! They were peacefully minding their own business, hunting for a proper meal, when she furiously murdered his brothers. She managed to kill them right before his eyes, as easily as if she was picking up flowers. And there he stood, the last of his litter, facing death itself. It would not happen this way, he thought.

"You will die, wench. You will know the price to pay for killing members of my family!"

Fumbling in one of his pocket, he caught three little things that he received from a strange youkai weeks ago. The dark-haired male, clad in a baboon pelt, had promised that these tiny objects would bring him and his brothers an immense power in exchange for a small and easy task. His brothers and he were asked to explore a mountain full of underground caves and tunnels to find which one led to a particular ceremonial chamber. Although the memory of that place still gave him the creeps, the search was an easy exercise for creatures endowed with nocturnal vision and he received the promised reward. He brought the shiny pink shards to his eyes and without a second thought, swallowed them.

Sesshomaru rose one of his brows, having caught a glimpse of what exactly the cat had swallowed: a Shikon jewel shard. Many of them, as far as he could tell. This was not auguring well for Kitana; she was not prepared to face such an opponent. He knew she was a decent opponent now, but he was also aware of her limits. As much as he was eager to be rid of her, he found out that he would not enjoy being the witness of her death. It was not honourable to be killed by a demon possessed by the artificial power of the jewel. Not really knowing why he would do such a thing, he told himself that he could at least stay there until she died. It was not really a waste of time, as he suspected it would not be long now for her to be killed. Then, his life could go back to normal.

Kitana was giving the cat some time to gather his thoughts, as so far the battle had been too easy. However when she saw him swallow something and then sensed an increase in his energy levels, she frowned. She had known of beings that were able to control their energy enough to fight using only the bare minimum needed, and increasing it when the fight became harder. It was her own way to fight, when she was at her best. But that? Impossible, she thought. The energy that now swirled around the cat's body was completely different from his previous one, stronger but also darker in a way. Before her eyes, the very body of the demon started morphing into something else, becoming a much taller and more muscular being, with claws now looking like the 18 inches scythes she sported on her back. Bony spikes emerged from his forearms and thighs and his upper fangs were now growing past his chin. His muscles seemed to bulge out of his skin. He then came at her in a powerful jump, and she barely had the time to move out of its way.

He was now extremely swift and even more agile than before, more agile than Kitana. As much as she tried, she was so busy fending off his strikes that she couldn't land a killing blow on him, like she did on his siblings. The cat succeeded to toss her on the ground and against trees easily, never giving her the chance to retaliate. Hurting from everywhere, she decided to change her strategy.

When faced with an attack, instead of trying to block or dodge, she caught the offending member and sank her claws and teeth into it, tearing its skin and muscles apart. For the demon, striking at her was like putting his hands and feet directly in the jaws of a giant shark, only to see them ripped into pieces. It hurt like hell, but thanks to the jewel shards now scattered inside his body, he healed fast and was ready to strike again in a matter of seconds.

Kitana did not understand how he could heal that fast, so she increased the strength of her attacks to the point where she tore away one of the cat's arms, breaking the very bone in the process. His cries of pain echoed far away in the surrounding woods and fields, but his rage seemed to be fuelled to a greater degree by the amputation. She threw the appendage away and spun around to receive the next blow, a powerful strike from his left knee that grounded her into the dirt. She did not loose any time before crushing the bones of his left thigh with a swipe from her tail then ripping his leg off. In the same swipe she struck at his abdomen with a spiked elbow, opening it from side to side just as she did to the first cat then disengaged her body from under her heavy, bloody opponent.

The cat was screaming out his pain and his wrath, covered in his own blood and filth. However, he was soon helped by the power of the jewel shards, his guts climbing back into his belly, his wound closing up. Tendrils spouted from the stump of his leg and they quickly reattached the lost member, sealing the torn muscles and skin as if nothing happened. Kitana couldn't believe what she was witnessing; really, she thought, she ought to awaken of this nightmare very soon as she was quickly growing out of options.

Now standing firmly on his two legs, with his innards exactly where they should be, the cat lunged at Kitana. His massive claws were clashing with the spikes of her forearms while her tail was trying to strike at him between the blows. Slowly, but steadily, he was backing her against a tree. It was then that she was caught by surprise by a powerful grip around her neck.

The cat emitted a sadistic burst of laughter, as he had seen his severed arm crawling its way to his enemy. When the arm jumped and strangled her from behind, he was more than happy for the little diversion. Kicking at her legs, he made her fall square on her back, his large body quickly seated upon her frail one, her hands held firmly above her head by his muscular arms. He took a moment to bare his fangs and hiss at the dog demon who witnessed the scene, making it clear that any intervention would not be welcomed. Sesshomaru couldn't care less; even though his respect for Kitana's strength and abilities had been growing in the last days, it was not his duty to keep her safe from the death she craved so much. Only from Naraku's grip.

The youkai seized the ebony creature by the neck and brought her face closer to him, staring directly at her black and yellow eyes. Licking his lips in a hungry way, he leaned toward her.

"So, wench, how does it feel to become the loser?" he asked her, his foul breath upon her face.

"Screw… you!"

As he heard Kitana say those words, Sesshomaru was once again surprised by her reactions. She was helpless, lying on the ground with a demon overpowering her, and nonetheless she bared her teeth widely in a defiant hiss. However, when her teeth parted and her jaws started to open, a second set of jaws covered with many pearl white fangs appeared, as if lying in wait for an occasion to strike. And strike it did. In a flash, her jaws opened widely, and for a moment Sesshomaru thought that the ear-to-ear toothy grin he involuntarily made when he was transforming from humanoid to animal shape looked very similar to what she was doing. The similarity ended soon though. Instead of going back in a large smile, her cheeks seemed to burst under the pressure and many gaps appeared in the flesh below her cheekbones, allowing him a full view right in and through her mouth. The second set of fangs was attached to a black tubular thing that suddenly erupted from her mouth at a high speed and impacted with the cat demon's forehead, easily blowing it away. The youkai stilled and then fell upon her, giving her the opportunity to strike twice more in rapid succession. The last blast penetrated so deeply in the cat's head that the back of his skull exploded, brain and blood flying everywhere.

Grumbling, Kitana removed herself from under the large body, detaching the offending arm from her neck with a look of intense disgust on her face. Kneeling just beside the body, she was spitting and rubbing her mouth energetically when Sesshomaru approached her. She gave him a foul look.

"You… you could have helped me, you know! This bastard kept reattaching his body parts in case you didn't noticed; I could have used a hand!"

Sesshomaru didn't react to her ranting. Instead, he was intently looking at the cadaver facing the earth beside the girl. He frowned slightly when he noticed movement inside the large wound behind its head. Kitana turned around when she realized where the demon lord was looking.

"No… No no no no no!! There is NO way in hell this is starting all over again!"

Fumbling on her feet, it was clear to her now that the brain she blasted moments ago was really healing now. The arm she threw on the ground was also moving toward the wounded shoulder. Sighing, she decided it was time she ended this game. Fighting against an ever-healing enemy was no more fun than when she was faced with Kagura's dead puppets, and the large cat met the same end as the lower youkai. Powered by her inner energies, an intense fire engulfed and burned the tortured corpse until nothing was left except for grey, smelly ashes.

"Why did you attack them?"

The cold tone of his voice was exactly what Kitana didn't need to hear at that moment. Looking at him defiantly, she answered in an arrogant way.

"Why do you ask? You don't understand the concept of helping someone, so you wouldn't care anyway."

Turning away from her, Sesshomaru decided the lesson was finished. Kitana was going to follow him when she saw the glittering of what looked like a small purple gem, lying amongst the ashes. Looking carefully, she found two others and she gathered them all in her hands. The shards gave her a weird sensation, as if they were the catalysts of higher powers.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked. From further away in the woods, he stopped and turned to face her.

"Do you know what these are? I think they may have caused the transformation of the beast."

"Indeed" he answered before walking away again.

"Hey! Don't go away that fast! If they are so powerful, what do you suggest to do with them? Surely if we just let them there another monster will pick them up and go on a rampage."

Scrutinizing her carefully, he shrugged. As far as he could tell, Kitana seemed unfazed by the power of the shards.

"There is no "we", the decision is yours. This Sesshomaru has no need for those tainted shards. Do as you please." With that he resumed his walk toward their camp. Kitana was puzzled by his behaviour, and she decided it was safer to keep the shards. She put them safely inside her belly pouch and went after the taiyoukai, looking down the hill where everything started in case one of the humans still remained; a red-headed one, in particular. But only the wind was whistling and dancing amongst the trees.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and the Alien stories and characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Author's note: There is a lemon ahead. No no don't get carried off, it's not between Sesshomaru and Kitana, how could it be, they just met! Lol But I want to warn those of you who could be disturbed by that, that there will be girl-on-girl action in this chapter, so quit reading if you are homophobic or something…

And oh, if you made it this far into the story and plan to continue, please leave a review!

**Chapter 8**

On the days after the unprovoked slaughtering of the cat demons, Sesshomaru appeared to hold a grudge against Kitana. Although he was not one to speak aloud of his predicament, his attitude grew more hostile than it usually was. He never gave Kitana any time to meditate or do her weird energy training, the sparring sessions became harder and longer than ever for her, and they were still travelling long after the sun had come down.

This harsh treatment had positive results on Kitana's strength and power though. She was regaining her abilities faster than ever and the balance of strength between the two protagonists became a little bit less unequal. Sesshomaru was still much stronger and his speed was unmatched, but Kitana was adapting her sneaky attacks and retreats to his style and soon she was aiming true. Both of them were now taking hits, although Sesshomaru still evaded most of them. However, his dissatisfaction seemed only to grow while the days passed and he kept going at her harder and harder, until he couldn't bear with it anymore.

"Woman, you will stop this immediately!" he shouted to Kitana before his Tokijin clashed with her spiked forearms.

"What? Stop what? Defending myself?" she answered, swiping at his legs with her tail.

"You are mocking This Sesshomaru!" he said, pushing her a good twelve feet away from him with a blast from Tokijin.

She stopped moving and crouched low, her tail swirling furiously around her as she was tensing her muscles to jump at her opponent.

"What are you talking about? Do I look like I'm laughing at you?" she said, dashing madly toward him, claws ready to strike.

He evaded the attack easily but was caught off guard by a slash of her tail on the backside of his knees. Almost jerked out of balance, he managed to land on his feet and turned to her, his eyes clouded with a raging anger.

"You are not fighting honorably. You use only the smallest amount of energy that you need to defend yourself against This Sesshomaru. You are not retaliating with your full strength. You were fighting much more fiercely against the lowly cat demons. It is insulting to This Sesshomaru to be treated like this. Do you think me weak?"

That being said, he almost caught her off guard with an attack from his energy whip. She managed to dodge his attack and jumped on a high branch, out of his reach. Frowning, she looked at him with hardened eyes.

"I thought you said those sparring matches were intended to increase my physical strength so I could ward off the attacks of the terrible Naraku, who seems to be very busy elsewhere if you ask me. The only way for me to attack you more fiercely would be to use my powers, which you so obviously despise."

Sesshomaru recomposed himself and nonchalantly put a stray lock of hair behind his left shoulder.

"You are stronger than you were, strong enough to fight against any of his disgusting offspring. But he would still be able to absorb you if he attacked you directly. I cannot risk that. I want you to be able to evade him completely, not just his puppets. You will need to use your abilities at their fullest to do so, and This Sesshomaru is certainly strong enough to withstand them. From now on, you will attack me with all your strength."

He turned on his heels and walked away from her, in direction of his followers. Kitana took a deep breath in before answering to his departing form.

"I won't."

He stopped dead in his track, feeling his ire rising. No one dared to confront him directly in such a way. Those who did never live to tell the tale.

"I used my full strength only once in my life and I will never do it again. You don't have the slightest idea of the damages I can do." Sensing a catastrophe was about to happen if she judged his temper correctly, she quickly continued. "However, I will indulge you and involve myself more fully into the training. I don't want to be absorbed by Naraku, whatever it means, you can count on that."

When he turned around to look at her, she was gone. He stared for a whole minute at the spot were she was standing mere seconds ago before turning again and resuming his walk. Those fights would get more interesting soon he thought, and maybe, maybe help him to become stronger. And after all, it would give Kitana's presence in his group an explanation and a purpose that his logical mind found much more appealing than merely counteracting Naraku's schemes...

SSSSS

The uneasy atmosphere of the later days melted away like snow under the summer sun. The taiyoukai continued to spar with Kitana everyday and since she added her particular abilities to the fights, they had become much more heated. Sesshomaru had regularly faced and defeated enemies who were on control of an element of another, be it water, thunder or fire, but never one who could switch to an element from another in the blink of an eye, and attack physically at the same time. Her attacks were still lacking in power and control and she had to be very concentrated to produce them but he found he really enjoyed those moments; the speed of his reactions and his thinking abilities were put to the test. He found out that his black-skinned companion enjoyed it too, especially when it was obvious that she wouldn't be able to corner him whatever she did. Sparring against each other was challenging to both of them, and they both welcomed challenges openly.

Despite the hard training and the hours spent journeying into deep woods or across the countryside, Kitana's mind was constantly wandering back to the day of the cat demons. Back to these precious few moments when the green eyes of the red-headed princess met with her own golden ones. Melancholy settled upon her then, and it took all the antics and the playful imagination of the human child to take her out of that gloomy set of mind.

Rin's attachment to Kitana had only grown over time. To Sesshomaru's irritation and Jaken's utmost indignation, the child often slept curled beside her, taking care not to hurt herself on her tail or claws. She enjoyed bathing time immensely; Kitana was almost an aquatic creature and the child loved to be hauled around a basin or carried on her back across a larger expanse of water. She learned to sit herself between the first and second rows of spears on Kitana's back, which were smooth and rounded structures out of battle time. To her surprise, the child found out that these structures could be very strong when she used them to hold onto Kitana, but could also be folded against her friend's back when she slept or sat, almost disappearing when her singular clothes covered them up.

Rin also discovered how she could put to good use one of her friend's interesting abilities while she played hide-and-go-seek with her master Jaken. The small green kappa did not enjoy those games at all, being terrified of the punishment bestowed upon him would he loose the child, so he put every energy into finding the annoying girl whenever she disappeared out of his sight. Kitana on the other hand was aware that the taiyoukai knew perfectly well were his little ward was hiding and took some sort of sadistic pleasure in witnessing the anxiety of the kappa. Although they were somewhat on a cold and uneasy truce, not hurting or shouting at each other anymore, Kitana's appreciation of the diminutive youkai was non existent and the feeling was reciprocated very well. Finding that they were an innocent looking way to harass and make the life of the imp miserable, she started to participate in Rin's games, giving the child an obvious advantage over the little demon.

In one of those sessions, the young Rin entered a small cave to evade the worried Jaken but she faced a dead-end. Disheartened and knowing she would be caught, she was about to make her location known to Jaken when she heard her name whispered.

"Pssst Rin, look up!"

Kitana had followed her much more efficiently than Jaken ever could and she was there, on the ceiling of the cave. Her claws were not even embedded in the rocky structure; it was as if she was sticking to the rock with both hands and feet. Giggling, the child started bouncing happily when she understood her friend's idea: she gripped the offered tail that encircled her waist and hauled her to the top of the cave, where she held fiercely to Kitana's back, helped by the tail. She was delighted when the black creature started moving upside down across the ceiling, making her way to a small natural chimney that led them outside of the cave. She could hear the worried and exhausted kappa screaming her name, and couldn't help but laugh as Kitana and she went back to Sesshomaru. Jaken was completely dumbfounded by their stunt, he had clearly seen the young girl enter the small cave and yet, she was not there. As he cried and berated himself, preparing to be beheaded by his master for loosing the child, his bulbous eyes couldn't believe what they saw: there in front of him, walking solemnly toward the cave was his master, followed by Kitana and the little Rin quietly sitting on Ah-Un's saddle. The green toad couldn't take more pressure and he fainted, eliciting a cascade of laughter from both girls and even a discreet smirk from his master. Enthralled by their new game, Rin and Kitana took great pleasure in repeating the feat as often as they could, hiding amongst tree branches or scaling rocky cliffs. These were fun moments.

SSSSS

"Sesshomaru," Kitana asked some days after the encounter with the cat brothers, as they were walking along a riverbank. His stance showed no recognition, her impolite ways did not bother him anymore; or more precisely, not as much as they used to. But she knew he heard her and continued.

"You never explained what exactly a youkai was".

Their walk came to a halt almost an hour later, as Rin's stomach grumbled hungrily. While the little girl was catching some fish in the river with the unwilling help of Jaken, Sesshomaru spoke in an even, calm voice.

"Youkai are what they are. Why are you concerned?"

"It is simply… curiosity. You see, even though humans far outnumber the others, in my travels I met with different species. However I can't really place the youkai amongst them. If I understand correctly, you and the demons I fought are both youkai?"

He certainly did not appreciate his person being compared with low-level scum such as these filthy cat demons, but he nodded.

"And… Jaken… and Ah-Un… are youkai too?"

He nodded again.

"You see, that's what I don't understand. You are all so different outwardly, yet you are part of the same species… It makes no sense."

"Do not confound different families of youkai, woman. This Sesshomaru is a dog youkai, and those you fought were cat youkai. We are very different. Ah-Un, even though intelligent and useful, is an animalistic youkai, and Jaken is…"

"Yes?"

"Jaken is… Jaken."

She smirked at that, reacting to the humorous feelings he was having.

"Most youkai species are embodiment of some part of nature. Some are issued from animals, or plants. Others are born out of elements, water, fire, earth. The most elementary youkai though are born out of emotions."

Puzzled, she frowned. "Emotions?"

He nodded again. "Human emotions are so strong and uncontrolled they end up stirring up lingering spirits interest and slowly these spirits become youkai, feeding upon the emotion that give them life. Grief, envy, jealousy, hatred. You fought against such youkai when the wind witch tried to capture you. Ugly things born of ugly feelings, with no defined form, far from the superior, more evolved pure-blooded youkai such as This Sesshomaru."

She was at a lost. Never once she heard of a world where the existence of spirits was recognized as a fact, let alone became alive when subjected to strong emotions. She told herself that she had never met with any primitive civilization either, every nation of the universal government was by nature born from an evolved civilization. Maybe some spiritual elements were lost when technology took the place of mythology? And it did not explain very well what a youkai was, either. That would give her food for thought for a while.

So with them she stayed, musing over her new reality. She continued to train her powers every day, when they paused for a lunch, nap, or a night. Rin was her number one fan, the child never growing tired of her slow, controlled dance involving the elements around her. Her movements even stirred a sensible cord both in the kappa and the taiyoukai, the first one clearly fascinated by them, and the second one not giving one single outward sign of appreciation. However, when she trained she could sometimes feel his gaze upon her and his satisfaction at her ever growing control of the surrounding energies. He had not trained a weakling, that was for sure.

SSSSS

As Sesshomaru started to inwardly recognize her fighting abilities, he began to give a little more freedom to Kitana. While it all stayed unspoken, it was clear that his anger was not fuelled anymore by short absences. She discovered it one day when she was left behind and had to walk for almost half an hour before reaching the group. The taiyoukai was not on edge, as he had been the first and only time that she left them. In fact, he barely acknowledged her presence at all.

Kitana tested the boundaries of her freedom more and more each day, travelling on a path parallel to Sesshomaru's for longer periods of time, always staying close enough to sense his immense energy signature. Only once, when she was absent for a whole day, did he glare threateningly at her when she came back after nightfall. When she saw the tears drying up on the cheeks of a sleeping Rin, she understood his hostility and berated herself for being such a fool. She was apparently not imprisoned anymore, but her conscience could not accept the hurt that she felt coming from the human child. She curled herself around the kid, bringing her sleepy form against her, and a sigh of relief left her lips when tiny arms snaked their way around her neck.

SSSSS

As they trailed across the countryside, Kitana discovered that the little child was a curious and persistent one. Not used to children, she had no idea they could be so talkative or inquisitive, and her way to jump from a subject to another was dizzying.

Rin used to sing a lot, and hum also, whether she walked, picked up flowers in a sunny meadow or rode Ah-Un. Kitana appreciated her antics and once started humming alongside her. That made the young child very happy.

"Kitana-sama! You sing well!"

The creature smiled at the girl. "Thanks Rin-chan. I miss music, and you bring it to my ears and my heart."

"Was there music inside the cocoon?"

"Oh no! The cocoon was only a sleeping place Rin. But where I lived, I used to listen to music all the time. I miss it a lot."

"And where did you live before you fell asleep? In the swamps on the other side of the green mountain, or the woods near the old well, or the northern snowy mountains, or…"

Kitana's laugh echoed in the afternoon air. That child was enthusiastic, that was for sure!

"Even further than that Rin-Chan. I come from the stars. I lived amongst them, always travelling from a star to another".

Rin's wide eyes were sparkling with joy.

"From the stars! That's why you always look at them at night, you seem to like them soooo much. Rin thinks that Sesshomaru-sama comes from the moon; he is always staring at it. Did you meet with him on the moon when you were amongst the stars?"

"No Rin, I never met with Sesshomaru-sama before he rescued me from the cave."

"Rin is sure you would have liked him. The stars like the moon I think, so you should like him. Lord Sesshomaru is very good at flying; maybe he could fly you back to the stars! Do you fly? Once I saw a shooting star! Is it like a flying star?"

The days were enlightened by the younger member of their unlikely group, but shadows were devouring the heart of one of them.

SSSSS

One night, as the child was sleeping and Sesshomaru resting his legs by sitting, contented, his back to a tree, Kitana left them silently. Exploring her surroundings at night dispensed her from harming Rin and it had become a daily occurrence. She appreciated their presence, but she also needed time alone, by herself, especially when she was musing about her past. She preferred to isolate herself when she felt sadness and loneliness engulf her, and lately these moments had been more frequent than ever.

So she left them and went wandering in the surrounding forest. Soon her senses caught the heat coming from a volcanic source and she decided that indulging in this little harmless pleasure was the best thing to do. As she arrived there though, she found that she was not the only one who had this idea. A red-headed human woman was half asleep in one of the bubbling pools, her pale pearly skin reflecting the light of the moon. She had been hidden from her senses by the heat coming from the water.

As the woman opened her eyes to look at her, a strong feeling of longing hurt her, seemingly coming both from her and the woman. She knew perfectly well why this particular woman had caught her interest, but had no idea as to what triggered the same feelings in the human. Turning back, she started to walk away when the woman called out at her.

"Wait! Aren't you the one who saved my life from the murderous intents of those terrible demons?"

Indeed, her travels with Sesshomaru's group had brought her back near the place she fought against the cats. Half-turned, Kitana nodded slowly, whispering a quiet "Yes". She was sensing around the hot spring for other energies, finding it very strange that a young noble woman once protected by a group of soldiers was now alone in the wilderness in the middle of the night. But there was truly none other than themselves.

"Then don't go. You intended to bathe didn't you? Please don't go away, we can share the space. I won't bite you," she said with mirth in her voice.

Kitana was puzzled. She had yet to speak to humans other than Rin on this planet, but fearlessness did not figure amongst the reactions she expected from them. Let alone any kind of desire.

"Aren't you afraid of me? Do you think I am that different from the demons that attacked you and your party?" she said, frowning.

"Aren't you different? You just said you were the one who protected me, who put your life in the line for a total stranger, so for me you cannot be related to those demons. Please honour me with your presence tonight, mighty one," she added with a lightly mocking tone.

The ebony female gave up her uneasiness and entered the basin, slowly sitting herself amongst the slippery rocks, letting the warmth of the heated waters envelop her.

The human woman raised and moved closer to Kitana's side, her nude body glistening under the moonlight. She sat herself on a half submerged rock, letting her small breasts react to the cooler air above the water surface. She was young, not much more than eighteen or twenty years old, and she was radiating with desire. Kitana however was frozen in place; knowing one's emotions suddenly became a burden weighting heavily on her shoulders. Her body was sensible to the young woman's presence as it remembered the touch of another, similarly looking woman, who was lost centuries ago. But her mind knew the difference between the two and refused to give in to the treacherous looks of the human. She tried to initiate a regular conversation, as if she was not feeling every moods of this woman, as if she was not reciprocating those emotions herself.

"Who are you? It is not often that one meets with a human female, foreign I should add, bathing by herself in the middle of the night. I would say you are doing your best to endanger yourself."

The girl laughed merrily at her comment, then lowered her head while staring at her. "I am not alone anymore now that you are here. I know you would protect me." Her eyes were burning and her voice was growing deeper.

"Answer my question," said Kitana, trying her best to impersonate Sesshomaru cold inflections.

"Well," the girl said while rolling her eyes, "my name is Ines."

Under Kitana's inquisitive gaze, she continued.

"I was born and raised here, my father is a Dutch trader and my mother is native from this land, although I did not inherit her looks. Recently father gave me in marriage to a minor lord, wishing to extend his influence I believe. So I am now considered a prize, a rarity, and I can't stand that. That's why I escape from the castle as often as I can, so I may enjoy my freedom before being truly married to this man I have yet to meet."

Under Kitana's eyes, another face was appearing under the young woman features in a kaleidoscopic dance that fascinated and confused her. Tears were coming from her eyes as her rational side told her that was not possible, but nonetheless her mind continued to play tricks on her.

"So, will you tell me why you saved me, or will I have to make you tell me?" asked the red-headed woman with a more sensuous voice, turning a little to face Kitana's right side. While she spoke of her predicaments she slowly approached the black creature, and was now closer to her. Too close for comfort.

Kitana looked away, deploring intensely her inane desire for a midnight bath. She did not want to meet her eyes so filled with lust anymore, but as her mind was decided to bring her out of the pool and back to her group, her body acted treacherously by staying glued to the rock were she was sitting.

"I… was just passing by, and needed to vent some frustrations. Those demons were just a distraction to me." It was a lie, but it would not help her cause to admit the truth in front of the attractive young woman. Saving her had been an impulsive decision; she did not want to be the witness of this girl being slaughtered and eaten alive by demons. Not with this pearly skin of hers, with her long curly mane of red hairs. Not with her deep green eyes so similar to another pair of eyes she knew so well.

"Frustrations? What kind of frustrations a strong demon such as you may have, I wonder? Surely you are not bond by ridiculous traditions and principles as I am? Oh how much I would give to be granted your freedom to do as you wish, if only for one night."

She was coming closer to Kitana's right arm and slowly, she reached for her well toned shoulder which she brushed with the back of her fingers. The touch had the effect of an electric shock; Kitana's head turned her way and their gazes met. The girl was so close now that she easily caught Kitana's chin with her tiny hand, turning her head her way so she could place her soft lips between her own, caressing them softly, and teasing her with her blunt teeth and the tip of her tongue, fuelling her lust for a willing, heated feminine body.

Kitana's eyes closed under the sensual touch, her mind totally replacing the young Ines by another one, and she responded to the caress. Slowly, passion raised in her as the desire of the other woman permeated her soul, mixing with her own longing to give birth to a need so strong it almost overwhelmed her. She refused to let their lips loose their contact; the illusion would lift if she did, so they were still kissing when the human woman moved to sit herself atop Kitana.

SSSSS

Sesshomaru was slowly walking in the forest, having left his ward under his retainer's watchful care. Or not so watchful maybe, but as she was also protected by Ah-Un he considered it safe to leave the camp.

As Kitana's presence had become a constant in his days, he discovered that she indeed had a scent. An extremely subtle scent, difficult to decipher and isolate from the smells of his environment, but it was there. He amused himself from times to times trying to determine what particular aromas built her signature. It was spicy, that was for sure, but which spices he couldn't decide. Maybe ginger, or cinnamon, with a subtle hint of aniseed or cardamom. When the wind was too strong he couldn't track her scent at all, even from the ground as she usually travelled across the treetops, but even on such a calm night it would still be a challenge for him to track her elusive presence. A diversion from the arduous quest he found himself in, following a hanyou who hid his very presence with an unrivalled mastery.

After many nights of practice, he was getting better at following her; he usually found her practicing with her powers in a clearing, or meditating. He never came closer to her and simply returned to his camp, satisfied of his prowess. Once or twice though, he could have sworn that her smell changed as he approached, getting a hint of something not dissimilar to tears. Yes, that was it, tears. He shrugged, dismissing the idea of a crying Kitana as a figment of his imagination. The woman was so aggressive and arrogant, there was no way she could let go of this attitude to display such ridiculous emotions. Except that she was not exactly displaying them, he told himself. Well, if everything went well he would soon see if his impressions were founded or not.

His senses sifting through the night air, he caught a scent he would rather have avoided.

"Yo! Sesshomaru! I finally found you!"

He turned toward Kagura, who was slowly emerging from between the trees. Listening intently to the sounds of the night, he failed to detect the distinct noise made by the bees that usually accompanied the wind sorceress.

"State your purpose here tonight or take your leave, woman." His voice was cold enough to make anyone shiver, his golden eyes looking immensely bored by the apparition of Naraku's incarnation.

"Sesshomaru, what a chilling welcome. I thought we were on better terms than that, you know" she said, hiding the bottom of her face behind her fan.

"This Sesshomaru is not interested in your games, sorceress." His body language was all but inviting her to pursue her speech, but she was used to it. She placed great hopes into this youkai, he was probably the only one able to free her from the clutch of her devious master, and she couldn't tolerate seeing him wander away from Naraku's trail to frolic with a stupid female. For this is what she witnessed: for her, any fighting devoid of the intent to kill was simply a game between friends. Good friends. And she could not suffer it.

"I am certainly not playing any game, Lord Sesshomaru. Let's say that I am merely on an errand and I stumbled across a very unusual scene. A scene that should… arouse your interest. But I understand perfectly if the actions of that black female you refused to surrender to me and insist upon carrying around are beneath your standing. I shall go my own way then, see ya!"

"What actions?"

His stern voice caught her as she was turning her back to him, and a sly smile appeared on her lips, an evil glint lighting up her red eyes.

"Well, just go ahead to the nearest hot springs. You were heading that way anyway, weren't you?"

With that, she let go of her feather and took to the skies, leaving behind an irritated taiyoukai.

Sesshomaru waited until Kagura's scent was dispersed by the light breeze that caressed his skin. She reeked of Naraku, and the aroma he was following was far too easy to loose to do so when his nose was drowned in this stench. He pondered upon the woman's words, deciding they were finally only a taunt to see how well she could control him. The wench had tried in the past to use him for her purpose, and apparently she hadn't learned her lesson.

When the pungent smells from a nearby hot spring covered up almost everything else, he was reminded of her words and finally decided to head that way. Kitana loved hot springs anyway, so it was logical to think that she would be in that direction. Not that the sorceress' words had anything to do with that decision. Leaping to a low branch as to be sure not to attract her attention, he looked at the hot spring. And he nearly lost his balance.

SSSSS

The kiss they shared had morphed into a very heated intimate contact, as their tongues played with each other, discovering and exploring their differences in taste and texture. Each touch of the soft appendages sent shivers down Kitana's spine, and she was longing for more. The girl's breasts were tempting her, slowly brushing on her own body in a deliciously torturous way, her white hands softly stroking her shoulders, neck and arms, triggering sensible areas that were put to rest centuries ago. She raised her right hand, that was until then firmly holding the rock below her, and encircled the human's waist, caressing her skin languorously, from the waist up along the spine, then down until she reached her buttocks, which she stroked languidly, and up again, meeting with a breast this time. Her touch triggered a delicious moan and slow humping motions from the human, who was now positioning herself so Kitana's left thigh would be rubbing right between her owns. And rubbing it did, as Kitana soon matched the young woman rhythm with movements of her own. Her deadly tail raised from under the water and started to stroke between the firm butt cheeks of the human, carefully avoiding to let anything but its smooth underside in contact with the tender flesh of the mortal girl. Kitana carefully adjusted her movements according to the girl's sensations, which she received through her empathic abilities as clearly as if they were hers. Trying to procure her lover as much pleasure as she could was a delight in itself for her, for every shiver of pleasure that tortured the young woman was mirrored upon her. Totally oblivious to the tall demon lord who observed them, the human and the creature descended from the stars were slowly loosing control over her whimpers and groans.

Kitana's left hand then reached for her neck collar and as it touched the central jewel, her peculiar bodysuit was absorbed in the ornament, letting her real skin appear under the moonlight. Looking like glittering onyx, her chiselled muscles were rolling underneath her skin, tensing and relaxing in the most ancient rhythm of times. Small and delicate ribbed patterns were embossed in her skin over all her body, emphasizing the demarcation between her smooth muscles and decorating the backside of her hands, fingers and feet. Her glossy black breasts came in direct contact with pearly ones, causing a hiss of pleasure to escape her lips. The young Ines, feeling the change in the texture of her lover's skin, let go of her lips as she bent down to kiss and lick at a black, erected nipple. Kitana's head rolled from side to side, unable to stay still under the shudders of pleasure that travelled through her whole body.

SSSSS

To his utmost annoyance, Sesshomaru discovered that he couldn't move a single muscle. The sight that was given to him was surely poisonous, as it was undermining his usual iron will. As much as he wanted to leave the area, his treacherous body was frozen in place. Or to be exact, burning on the spot.

He usually had no interest at all toward all things carnal. The foolishness of his teenage years left him with the definite conclusions that most females, once bedded, did all they could to obtain control over his being; including spreading false rumours, slyly poisoning potential rivals and becoming pregnant. He despised their honourless ways to reach power and ceased to include them in his thoughts.

This, however, was something totally new to him. He had heard about such occurrences in the past but dismissed the idea as pointless and stupid. How could females mate together anyway, without the male organ to fulfill their needs? But now, as he was witnessing this unlikely couple pleasuring each other, one of them being none other than the one he had been living with for the last weeks, his baser instincts were triggered. He was not totally displeased by it; it was just his lack of control over the whole situation that he found unpleasant. But soon his irritation at loosing control became the last thought on his mind, when Kitana's back arched violently, her head rolling to the side, and a sensuous growl reached his ears, coming from her moist lips.

SSSSS

The now passionate Ines had suddenly inserted one of her hands in-between them, coming in contact with Kitana's heated nether regions. She explored her slick folds hungrily, delighted at feeling the strong creature bending her whole body in pleasure under her touch. As her hand continued to send shockwave after shockwave of bliss to Kitana's heated core, she penetrated her with a finger, then two, adding to the sensations, her mouth now fully sucking on one of her breasts. In response to the passion of her black-skinned lover, she put her other hand upon her own sex, pleasuring both of them at the same time.

It was too much for Kitana. She was not used to be the receiver of attentions; usually she was the one who gave. Pushing Ines away from her chest, she looked at her aroused form with desire burning in her eyes. Bending to catch one of the woman's delicious breasts between her lips, she started sucking at it, slowly at first then in a more passionate way. Each wave of pleasure that travelled through the young human's body was reverberated into her own in a spiral that led her to unbelievable heights. She was nearing climax. Following her instincts, she raised with the girl firmly held into her embrace, and placed her lithe form on an emerging rock. She then covered her with her own slender and toned body, black skin contrasting sharply with pearly one. With a hand she spread her legs, sensually stroking her reddened and swollen lips, then the very center of her pleasure. It was the human's turn to arch her back as she screamed out of pleasure.

Kitana hungrily sucked at her breasts, and then left shivering under the cool air of the night to go down between her parted thighs. The white skin of the girl contrasted with the pinkish-red color of her intimate folds, enflamed by desire. She delicately brushed her inner thigh with a finger, making her lover shudder under her touch. Tentatively she let her breath play across the offered sex and had to hold the girl's hands firmly as they tried to push her head away. Fondling her sensitive breasts with the tip of her tail, she let out her tongue, stimulating the erect bulge of flesh that sat there, hidden under the lips of her sex. These teasing, feather light contacts triggered cries and moans from the girl under her, and soon she had to held her bucking hips firmly down on the rock to prevent her from reaching climax too soon. Kitana's head was spinning under the endless stream of sensations that came to her, drowning all her other senses in this storm that washed over her again and again.

She tasted her core, looking straight at the face of the girl while she did so, at her eyes closed in ecstasy. Sucking and caressing her languidly, she took her time, not surrendering to the girl's pleas for more. She soon found her head firmly gripped between the white thighs of her partner, who was begging for release. Her long, pointy tongue slid out of her mouth and penetrated in the inviting slit, coated with sweet-and-sour juices. As she prodded inside the girl, she discovered she was still intact from any man's touch and decided to leave her that way, not sure how strict the local human traditions were considering purity before marriage.

SSSSS

Sesshomaru was feeling more and more out of place, when an unwelcomed contradictory feeling started to impose itself, telling him he could be the one caressing the black skin of the woman. He could be down there with them, and as Kitana kissed and tasted the human, he would feel her hips with his hand, then brush indiscreetly underneath her tail with his hard, throbbing member. She would surely recognize his presence and would have no choice but to bend to his desires, placing her tail to the side to allow him entry. He would take his time, though, bending behind her to taste and explore her feminine folds, discovering how much alike and different she was from the females he met. As both women would writhe under their forbidden pleasures and hisses and growls of pleasure would be reaching his ears, he would penetrate her by behind, plunging his pulsating sex into her slick opening up to the hilt, bending over her back to grasp her breasts. Her cries of ecstasy would soon be joined by his own growls and groans as he would pump into her core stronger and faster than any man had ever done to her before. Soon he would relinquish her breasts as his hand would be needed to steady him, pounding into her with all his might.

SSSSS

Kitana, in an expert gesture, moved her body until her hips met with the girl's own. Their private parts came into intimate contact with each other and her tail whipped at the air in reaction to the sensation. She imposed a new rhythm to the girl underneath her, a much more demanding rhythm. Their breasts bounced onto one another, their lips met furiously, the girl's hands were holding Kitana's bottom firmly as their moist sexes hungrily asked for release.

The human reached climax first, sending wave after wave of pure bliss right to Kitana's oversensitive soul. After a couple more thrusting of her hips, she also came, going through a wild orgasm that left her shivering upon the exhausted, panting human girl. And Sesshomaru found out that he had not been spared by the sensual atmosphere as a strong orgasm that he struggled to keep silent exploded into him, a warm liquid quickly coated his rigid, pulsating member, slowly descending along his inner thighs. Just as any inexperienced and eager teenager boy, he came in his pants, without even touching himself. How disgraceful he thought, ashamed of his reactions, of his very thoughts. He did not desire Kitana before witnessing this disturbing display. How could he face her again, knowing what he knew? Could he travel with her without his eyes trying to remember how soft and pleasant the contact of her skin seemed to be? Without his mind sending him memories of black and white skin caressing and grazing each other, telling him the white one could be his own? Without his body reacting against his will, once again, bringing utmost humiliation upon him? Disgusted with himself, he tore his gaze away from the couple, formed his cloud of youki, and quickly left the area.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and the Alien stories and characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

**Chapter 9**

Under the moonlight, the pale skinned woman slowly started to move against Kitana, her breath becoming faster once again, trying to engage into other heated activities with her new partner. Kitana, however, was coming out of her trance. Opening her eyes, she looked at the figure of the girl and clearly noticed the differences. Ines was not Jess; and she had never been. Her eyes were a dull greenish-grey, not the deep emerald green she so longed to see again. Her hairs were more of a deep auburn than truly red, and her face was too rounded and ordinary, she did not have the beautiful, exquisite traits of her past love. Wincing as she realized what she had just done, Kitana quickly put her suit back on and rose, intent of getting out of there as fast as she could manage.

"Wait! Don't you want to stay with me, my love? Are you already tired of my touch, me, a feeble mortal?"

The girl extended her hand toward Kitana, in an invite that very few could have refused. Her eyes were still hazy from the pleasure she experienced mere moments earlier, and her skin was still flushed from all the activity of the night, giving her a very sensual, if not overly sexual look. The black female couldn't care less though, and she turned her back to the provocative girl, trying not to listen to her pleas for attention.

"Don't leave me! If you stay at my side, I promise that you will be recognized and honoured as my guardian and protector. We will share every waking hour, and all the nights to come. No man will touch me, ever." Ines pleading eyes shined with a madness that Kitana hadn't noticed before, as tears slowly descended along her cheeks.

"No! You can't go! I am a princess, I order you to stay with me! You can't leave me, do you hear me?" The naked, distressed girl was now standing on the rock where they made love an instant earlier, her voice reaching higher levels as her panic grew. Kitana was about to answer her when she felt other presences quickly approaching, surrounding them; she frowned angrily.

"Your soldiers are here, my lady. You will forget what happened tonight. It was a sad mistake from my part triggered by grief and loneliness. You should not suffer from my foolishness. You will go back to your duties and forgive me for what I did." With that, she jumped into a neighbouring tree and leapt away, silently returning to her camp. She heard the scream of the girl as she was moving away, calling her soldiers to her, sobbing about a cruel demon that abused of her. She shook her head and moved faster, putting as much distance as possible between this nightmare and her.

She bathed again before joining her companions, scrubbing her skin hard, trying to remove all the scent of the girl from her person. At that precise moment she longed for soap, lots of purifying, perfumed soap. She had a good idea of how sensible Sesshomaru's sense of smell was, and she certainly didn't want to be faced with his questions as she returned to camp.

But he said nothing. He was half-asleep when she came back at breaking dawn, and he only slid an eye open at her approach, meeting her gaze. He looked at her for a short instant, and then returned to his rest. Rin soon rose and started talking about the dreams she had that night, of flowers and butterflies dancing around her.

"Oh Kitana-sama, could you please make the flowers dance around Rin today? Rin would love that, it is sooo beautiful!" exclaimed the child. In her last training sessions she had taken the young girl as a secondary target for her wind and water attacks. As she sent larger blasts of cutting winds and water blades to the most offending trees she could find, chopping them into pieces, she kept her mind concentrated on sending whirling leaves, droplets of water and petals around the little Rin. It made a good practice session for the ebony creature, and the child would turn and jump in the center of the small whirlwind, bouncing and laughing so hard it was contagious. They would soon find themselves laying on their back in the clearing that she created, looking at the forms in the clouds and the birds playing in the skies. Smiling, Kitana answered.

"Let's first find you a suitable meal so your stomach will not start to grumble in the middle of your dance, little miss sunshine."

The child nodded and headed for the river. She was fond of fish, a meal easy to catch with her small hands. Surprisingly Kitana jumped before her in the water, swiftly catching large fishes that would sustain their entire group for the day to come. Sesshomaru, as much as he loathed food prepared by humans, loved freshly caught fish and meat. He had grown accustomed to share his ward's meals once in a while, when his hunger was strong enough. Kitana thought that he would find nothing strange in the preparation of a larger meal, and the smell of the fish would surely mask whatever inappropriate scent lingered upon her.

Sesshomaru was looking at all this busy activity with impassive eyes. If he had not witnessed the events of the night, he would say that nothing had changed, that it was an ordinary morning. Kitana was acting just as she did usually, maybe with a little bit more enthusiasm. He couldn't help but try to distance himself from her, concerned that she would discover his discomfort. The taiyoukai suspected that girl to be able to read his true feelings as easily as if he was an open book, maybe even surpassing the young Rin in that domain, and he would certainly not unconsciously reveal to her what he was going through. So as soon as the meal was finished, he moved on, going in the opposite direction from the human village, his mind filled with thoughts of revenge upon Naraku who was entirely responsible for every unpleasant thing that was happening in his life.

Kitana herself kept her distances from the taiyoukai; she was too lost in her thoughts to care about whatever emotions she sensed coming from him. She was so focused on her own ordeal that she tuned out whatever she received from the other members of the group, trying to sort out her true feelings, to delve deeper inside of her, reaching depths she knew she would have to face someday. But she couldn't; not now, not then, never. She tried to keep up a façade of normality, when in reality she craved to curl up in a small ball in a faraway corner and disappear, melting somewhere in a forgotten hole. Remembrances of days similar to these came rushing at her, and when it happened she did her best to provoke Sesshomaru in a sparring match or a bickering session, which would anyway end up in a battle amongst the trees or in the plains. These violent outbursts helped her to keep her mind away from the dangerous shadowed area of her soul that attracted her so much. She attempted to build a wall around these disturbing feelings, for she couldn't escape them in death nor live with them.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to do with what he witnessed. He couldn't quite place Kagura's role in the whole affair and suspected some parts of the scene to be under her control or direction, at least. The human girl was not dead, that was for sure, but what interest did Kagura have by placing him on the way of the hot spring he couldn't fathom. She was not one to do something for no reason, and surely she thought she would benefit from his discovery.

Nonetheless, he decided that he wouldn't concern himself with the matter anymore. Kitana had not passed any comment on his attitude, which he took great care not to change in the slightest, and she did not change hers. All was good from what he could see, and he was not one to mingle himself in the private life of others, for usually he never cared for others than himself and his group. He concluded that if she wanted to rut with teenager girls in hot springs, she could do it as much as she wanted as long as it stayed private.

Kitana's attempts at keeping a clear mind pushed her to talk more with Sesshomaru. He was not talkative at all, except for when he angrily answered to her impolite bickering, so it was quite a task for her to question him and stay within boundaries of polite conversation. On a sunny afternoon, they crossed through a rice field under the wary eyes of peasants. None of them threatened their group, keeping as much distance as possible between them and the demons, but Kitana could feel their fear, hatred and reject intensely. As they finally reached the peacefulness of the cherry groves that bordered the fields, Kitana spoke her mind.

"Sesshomaru, tell me… The youkai and the humans don't seem to get along well, from what I understand."

"Hn. This Sesshomaru doesn't concern himself with mortal matters. Higher youkai don't either."

"Then why does a human child travel with you? She loves and trusts you, a youkai, and you let her follow you around." She did not mention the strong feelings she commonly felt from the taiyoukai when he observed the playing child or protected her from a threat.

The taiyoukai was a man of few words. "One day Rin was killed. This Sesshomaru revived her and since then she followed."

Puzzled, she asked "you revived her? Or maybe you healed her?"

He stopped walking and turned his head to the low branch overhanging him, where she hung upside down. Without uttering a word, he unsheathed his Tenseiga and showed it to her.

"You never use this sword in battle, only the other one" she commented.

"The Tenseiga is a healing sword that can revive the dead. It is the sword that brought Rin back to life, and it is the sword that pushed this Sesshomaru to take you from the cocoon cave. It is quite an unreliable sword that made an especially foolish decision at that time, but in a way you owe it your life, just as Rin does."

That being said, he returned the sword to its sheath and led his group over another set of hills, in search of the ever-elusive scent of Naraku. His words sparked a million of other questions, and she was quite content with that for it silenced her melancholy.

Kitana's mind was not the only one that needed occupations. Sesshomaru was at a lost as how to find his arch-enemy, and he was under the unpleasant impression that he was made a fool of, following scent trails that vanished hours later, to reappear later going in the opposite direction. He was growing frustrated by his quest, and had had much time to ponder the events of the last days. He had come to term with his forbidden desires and buried them deeply inside, with so many other feelings that he kept well hidden within him. That was the only way he knew to continue with his search for power and revenge without being distracted by insignificant emotions and feelings. Some questions though, were eating at his patience and he found that it was better to ask them than to try to silence them. On a rainy afternoon, as they rested in a small alcove at the foot of an escarpment, he asked one of these questions.

"Your powers…"

Kitana looked at him, waiting for the rest of the phrase. She knew he was not comfortable asking about something, and sometimes she could help him by answering before he truly asked, but the question to come was not an easy one, she thought. She gave him the time he needed to precise his demand, while she listened at the soft sound of the rain upon green foliage.

"They are not youki, and yet they are not reiki either. Explain that."

"Youki, reiki?" she asked, intently looking at her. Maybe she could obtain some answers herself, in this uneasy sharing of information. He stared at her, and then turned his head toward the hazy scenery offered by the downpour.

"Youkai use an energy called youki, and some humans can call an opposed force called reiki, or holy powers. Those energies are natural opponents and negate each other; yet, your powers are related to neither of them."

She understood what he was speaking of, and took a deep breath. His gaze came back to hers when she spoke.

"Interesting. I… somehow felt that the power of the youkai I met came from an intense energy source. Fuelled by anger, maybe?"

Not liking to see his question thrown back at him, Sesshomaru contemplated not answering anymore but curiosity got the better of him. He would have to share if he wanted to learn from her.

"Strong, tainted emotions are what give birth to youki. Reiki, on the other hand, seems to be born out of equally strong emotions, only they are pure."

"Like hatred and love?"

He nodded once, subtly. "It is more… complex than that, but it is a good example. What are your powers?"

"So that's why you keep such tight reins over your feelings… Your youki could be fuelled by your emotions and… make you loose control, maybe?"

His coldest glare met her questioning eyes, chilling her to the bone.

"This Sesshomaru does not loose control, woman. Never make such an idiotic assumption again."

"Well, I'm sorry!" she said, her hands in the air as if to ask for peace. "I've got to understand how things work here if I want to live here you know. It's the first time I meet such a polarity in energies. Mine are much more… neutral."

His gaze did not falter from her eyes, putting pressure upon her. He would not ask again, but he would get his answers.

"You see, you told me that there were two strong, but opposite sources of power in your world. My own energy is neutral, coming from the environment around us."

She paused to gather her thoughts, knowing he would not be satisfied by that little bit of information.

"In fact, I don't possess that much energy just by myself, not like you. I act as a catalyst; I bring out and concentrate the energies that surround me. I use the forces of nature, the energies carried by the earth, the water, the flesh of living creatures, the mind. Those energies are neutral, not dark nor pure."

The side glance that he gave her beckoned her to continue.

"Water can give life to a thirsty creature, but it could also drown it. Fire can burn, but it can also warm up the chilled ones. I could probably channel those youki and reiki you speak of, but neutral energies are easier to find because one does not need a conscious being to create them. Every planet of the universe is filled with energy; even the void of space between worlds carries streams of neutral energy. The neutrality is broken when a living creature adds an emotion to the flow of energies, but there is always a balance, a homeostasis that brings things toward neutrality again. No living creature is totally positive or negative. I do not know how or why the balance has been so blatantly broken here on this world, but someday it will either slowly come back to full neutrality, or escalate to reach extreme levels of tainted and pure powers, fighting each other before being consumed and neutralized."

Sesshomaru's thoughts immediately pictured a pink, glowing jewel that was said to contain the fighting souls of a very powerful youkai and a human priestess.

"Foolishness. Youkai were thriving here way before the humans overpopulated the country, and we will certainly continue to do so after they will be gone."

That being said, he rose from his sitting position and ventured outside. The rain had stopped.

One morning they arrived near a human town when they heard a huge blasting noise. Rin was frightened but a simple look from Sesshomaru was enough to calm her down. Kitana however, was not one to obey Sesshomaru as willingly as Rin and she made her way to the village, hidden amongst the tree branches. To her surprise, she found that Sesshomaru followed her.

Perched together on a large tree, they took their time to inspect what had caused the blast. A group of foreign-looking humans were present at the outskirts of the village, Portuguese or Dutch people as far as Sesshomaru could say. Westerners. They were showing the lord of the town a large array of their weapons, especially long arquebus and a couple of smaller cannons. With them were human priests clad in long, black robes, bearing a cross on their chest. When one of those priests looked their way, Kitana sensed his fear of this foreign nation and his desire to compel the natives into obedience and submission. Fear and fanaticism were never a good mix, she thought. They left the place and returned to their travels.

Later in the afternoon, they came across a meadow showing a desolating scene of battle. A large group of over a hundred samurai had been decimated, and there was not a single body from their enemies in sight. The corpses showed no sign of sword or arrow wounds either, only small bloody holes that pierced their iron armour and helmets.

Sesshomaru's eyes became slits as he eyed the wounds. "Foreigners." Then he casually walked away, followed by his companions. The vision of these wounds did not leave him though, and later in the night he went to Kitana as she was about to join Rin in her sleep.

"The humans. You told This Sesshomaru that they were a common species in the other worlds. Tell me about that."

Kitana was tired, but the sight of the foreign soldiers and priests and the field full of samurai corpses troubled her also. It was the first sign she found of a more advanced technology on this world, and she did not like it at all.

"I cannot say much about that, since it is a mystery even for them. Humans seem to have evolved on many a world at the same time. Some of their civilizations are extremely old and advanced, and some like the one here are more primitive. "

"How could they do that? They are weak, insignificant. Surely there are more powerful species on your other worlds that could have wiped them away easily."

"There are, of course: very powerful beings, long-lived, physically strong. But none have been more prolific and successful than the humans yet. Humans are weak physically, you are right, but they have huge advantages over most other species. They are very inventive and have respect for nothing, not even themselves."

Sesshomaru's attention was fully on her now. "Explain."

"Humans invent things to compensate for their weaknesses. Primitive humans gather in groups to be stronger, they invent weapons to kill animals and wear their furs so they are not killed by the cold. Then they learn how to grow their food and breed animals for their use. More advanced humans continue to develop weaponry, modes of communication, agriculture, transportations, medicine. They transform everything around them to suit their needs, without any respect for the world that sustain their lives. Other species tend to specialize in a domain, be very proficient in transport but lacking in the weaponry, or being extremely skilled in agriculture but never developing anything in other technologies. There are many species that are better than the humans in a field or another, but their abilities to develop new ideas in every single domain of science is what makes the humans so successful. To add to that ability, they shamelessly exploit their environment to the maximum of what it can gives, adapting it to their needs with no regard for the other living species that depend of it. So wherever they live, they thrive despite their apparent weakness and lack of skills."

She was right, of course. He had seen the humans change in the last 700 years. It was true that they modified very quickly their environment to suit them. No youkai was as skilled as they were at changing and morphing the landscape into something else, at inventing and modifying weaponry to overcome the improvements in their enemies' defences. The arrival of the westerners was only another proof of their adaptability. And it did not please him.

On the next day, as she was resting from a hard sparring session, it was her turn to ask him with a question he had expected to come up much earlier.

"Tel me Sesshomaru: who is this Naraku guy? Is he strong enough to justify all this training? I think I have improved a lot since I awakened, I don't feel weak anymore. Don't you think I could defeat him now that I manage to hit you once in a while?"

The tiredness of her tone was mixed with mirth and it did not evade him.

"Do not be a fool, woman. One such as you could not fall Naraku. Your training is so you can evade his attacks and destroy his minions. Naraku is mine."

"Oh, so you are possessive hey? I bet I could kick his ass… If only he would come at me in a deep forest and not on those ridiculous plains where there are no places to hide…"

Sesshomaru would not fall for her taunts; for if he did she would regret it dearly. Instead he decided that it was wiser to educate her a little about this foe.

"Your sneaky ways would be of no use against him; he his master of treachery. He is nothing but a mere hanyou, and to survive against ones as strong as This Sesshomaru he has to know and use the strengths and weaknesses of his enemies. He would face you in an environment that would give him the upper hand, you can count on that."

"So if he is so weak, why is he still alive?"

Slit, angry eyes met with her own mischievous ones.

"Do not insult This Sesshomaru. I will find and destroy this beast; there is no doubt about that. It is the finding part that is tedious; for Naraku has an uncanny ability to mask his very presence."

Silence followed his words, only to be broken minutes after by more questioning.

"What is he after?"

She noticed his ire was rising once again, but it didn't deter her.

"Don't you know his motivations? Why are you his enemy?"

"This Sesshomaru doesn't care what the hanyou is after. Power, as far as I know."

"So what differentiates him from you, or me, or even Jaken, if power is what he seeks? Aren't we all like alike in that matter?"

He rose from his sitting position, towering up above her prone form. His mask of indifference was broken by furious eyes that would have made anyone whimper and ask for mercy. Anyone but Kitana, as she was eagerly awaiting an answer.

"We have nothing in common. The hanyou dared to use This Sesshomaru to do his lowly chores. Then he abducted Rin and tried to use her as hostage to force his will upon me. That is why he will die."

Satisfied by his answer, Kitana didn't push him any further. She rose after him and joined the games of the sunny little Rin while they followed Sesshomaru on his path for conquest.

**SSSSS**

As the days passed, Sesshomaru found out that he truly appreciated his newest companion. At night, when he tried to find some inner peace by staring at the stars and the moon, he often let his mind wander about her. Kitana was not a burden to him anymore, more of a comrade. He had rarely met someone who could confront him on so many subjects and live to tell the tale. Her interventions acted as an inspiration to his mind that was already eager to learn more. Knowledge was power after all. He was taking great care not to let his aloof façade slip and talked as little as he could, but he was definitively interested by their conversations. Kitana was also kind to his ward and firm toward his retainer. She was a mature adult presence by his side, with a deeper personality than the young mind of his ward and definitely more interesting than the bitter and mean Jaken. And she had been an excellent sparring partner, something he had not had since his young days as a trainee. His own skills were extraordinary, but it felt good to be once again improving his techniques by sparring with a capable partner, especially on the verge of an imminent clash with the hanyou Naraku. And even if he took for granted that he would not need any help in ending the dark hanyou's life, Kitana's strength would eventually prove to be an asset in the encounter for she could stop the youkai scum spawned by Naraku from interfering in his own fight. He came to the conclusion that regardless of what he saw at the hot spring all those days ago, she was now a welcomed part of his group.

He overcame his bad experience of the hot spring and about a week after the humiliating incident, he resumed his habit of tracking his newest follower when she left at night. He knew his ability to find her could come in handy and justified the time spent looking after her by the strengthening of his sense of smell. This sense that he once thought of as perfect was giving him nightmares lately, with the disgusting Naraku evading him as easily as a mere puppy. Training his nose on the subtle, evanescent aromas of the foreign creature could only help him catching up with his foe.

One night, however, he did not find her. Her smell was lost to him when a strong wind decided to whip furiously at the trees and a heavy downpour started, drenching him to the bones in an instant. Using his youki to dry up quickly, he took to the skies and returned to his group. His useful two-headed dragon had already provided shelter to his ward by letting her crawl underneath his belly and only Jaken was suffering of the rain. He led them to an overhanging cliff that blocked most of the rain, not wanting to admit that he was waiting for the fifth member of his group to catch up with them.

She never did.

The taiyoukai managed to calm Rin's anxiety of not seeing her friend again by a few, well-place "Do not be foolish, Rin." He wished his own worries would be as easy to silence as the child's. He drowned these inappropriate, protective and troubled thoughts under a renewed anger. The woman would pay when he would find her, if she had not already crossed path with his mortal enemy. How was he reduced to develop this unwelcome protective attitude toward the members of his group lately he didn't know, but it unnerved him terribly. She did not deserve his loyalty or his care, as all she did was endanger his followers by her very existence, but she somehow managed to obtain it. And it would not do.

His search lasted two whole days. He went through great difficulties in finding her scent, and he discovered that the annoying creature spent a large part of her time immersed in water bodies. Lakes, rivers and tree branches seemed to be her favourite ways to travel. How frustrating, he thought, that he who was so powerful and could transport himself in a light ball directly upon the source of his enemies' scents couldn't track her properly.

On the second night of search, he finally caught up with her scent. It was underneath smells of battle, human and youkai blood and body fluids that he found what he was searching for. Suddenly, a powerful youki flared aggressively ahead of him, in the direction of the smells. Frowning, he left his ward under Ah-Un's and Jaken's care and he hastened his pace, not certain of what he would find.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's note: this chapter is the most violent until now, so I wanted to warn you. It's not that bad, there are many more guresomes stories out there, but don't be sorry you continued reading. There are some songs that I was listening to when I wrote this chapter and the next one that add a whole new dimension to this story. If you like music, I suggest you seek these out and listen to them while you read:

Jason Mraz - Coyotes  
Jason Mraz – Details in the fabric

Nightwish – The poet and the Pendulum  
Blue October – Hate me  
Blue October – Into the ocean

**Chapter 10**

Kitana was enraged.

She had stumbled upon this group of bandits about two days ago, just as she left Sesshomaru's side to explore their surroundings. The taiyoukai usually travelled far from human settlings, but there was a road near their camp and it is where she found them. If she hadn't been hungry, she would have killed them on the spot to make sure they wouldn't terrorize Rin. On that particular night however, the simple brush of the bandits' souls on her own was enough to trigger her predatory instincts. She needed the thrill of a hunt and the taste of a meal before calming itself, and she had found the perfect preys.

As if they had sensed being stalked though, the bandits separated into smaller groups and scattered around the countryside, walking or riding horses to reach different villages. Some of them were lower youkai, boars, snakes, lizards and such, and they disappeared into the forest, fields and rivers. She kept track of most of them, following them amongst the trees or hidden underwater in a lake or river, and soon she understood; while the youkai hid, the humans were all living a normal life in the neighbouring towns and hamlets, where they were simple peasants tending to crops or smiths who forged farming tools; one of them was even some kind of a healer. Only in the shadows of the night did they gather to commit their crimes, removing the masks that hid their true nature to the eyes of their families, neighbours and friends.

She almost abandoned her quarry when nothing happened on the night of the first day. After all, Rin would miss her presence and she could always come back another night. But her instincts asked her to wait, to taste the putrid emotions that coursed through the veins of the men at work, emotions that she knew they couldn't keep at bay much longer. Now that she had found them though, they would meet their end. Very rarely in her past life had she found such a group of dire monsters. Evil souls were present everywhere but they uncommonly, if ever, grouped together to commit their crimes as inconspicuously as these men were doing.

When they finally gathered in a clearing hidden in the deepest part of a forest, she was there and she chose their leader as her last, most important victim. As far as she could tell from her high-up perches he was youkai and powerful. Green-eyed, with white and black hairs cut short over his shoulders, he sat contentedly in the center of the place amongst his followers, completely drunk. His clothes, even though they were scattered on the grounds around him, were of the finest silk, a sword by his side seemed to be of the highest craftsmanship. His exposed body showed extremely well toned muscles and scars of diverse origins were triumphantly demonstrating his resilience in battle. His energy level rivalled in strength with Sesshomaru's one; really, he would make a fine meal, satiating her for weeks to come.

The others were small fry, but nonetheless they would feel her wrath. She started with them. Stealthily moving across the branches of the trees, she eliminated them, one by one, beginning with the ones further from the clearing and slowly working her way toward the main gathering place. She took her time, appreciating every moment of her hunt, taking her victims when they wandered away from the group to relieve themselves or gather some wood for the bright, oversized campfire. Seizing them by the throat with her tail while she was standing amongst the foliage of the trees, they couldn't utter a sound before facing their death. One by one they were decimated.

The white tiger youkai, even though he was strongly inebriated, noticed that some of his men were missing about half an hour later. As he tried to count them, to remember their faces and looks, he slowly emerged from his cloudy dreams. He looked closely at his surroundings, at the captive women and child that were helplessly attached on the ground, play toys for his men and him, at the drunken men and demons who were pleasuring themselves with the captives, and he clearly saw that at least half of his followers were missing, if not more. Were these fools trying to ambush him and steal from him? They were utterly foolish if that's what they were up to.

That is when he noticed the stench. The area reeked of blood and unspeakable things, even stronger than the smells of sex and alcohol that were surrounding him. As he tried to rise to take a better look around, a singular woman appeared right in the center of the clearing, crouching as if she had fallen from the skies. Her body was as black as the night itself, and her elongated head ended upon a beautiful face with high cheekbones and attractive, deep black eyes with golden irises. She slowly rose to her feet, elegant legs unfurling gracefully below her, showing him a lean and toned body just as he appreciated them. Richly burnished golden plates graced her forearms and lower legs, and her forehead, neck and waist were also adorned with similar ornaments. The rest of her body was firmly clad in a leather-looking material, showing all of her curves and charms to the onlookers. The thought came to his fogged mind that at last his rivals were acknowledging his superiority by sending him a present, a new flower of the night to add to his multiple conquests.

But his fantasies were cut short when in a fast series of swipes from her slender, deadly-looking tail, she beheaded eight of the twelve men he had left. Those eight men had done nothing to provoke her, they were not even reaching for their weapons and yet she coldly murdered them. As shocked as their leader, the four bandits that were still occupied with the captives tried to grab their weapons but even for them it was too late; faster that his eyes clouded by the abuse of booze could follow, she moved to each of them and gutted them with her bare hands, ripping their abdomen apart with her claws, leaving them to die slowly in their own wastes.

The tiger was still half-sitting, half-rising, his weight on his hands behind his back, pushing himself away from the ground in a desperate attempt to regain his composure. His youki was flaring around him, trying to warn the insolent woman about the immense strength of the one she was challenging. However as his angered eyes met with the stranger's singular ones, plunging into deep golden pools that were quickly turning into black bottomless holes, he found that he couldn't move anymore. All he could do was stare wide-eyed at her approaching form, at her swift tongue that erotically licked the blood off of her slender, feminine fingers, at her clawed feet that slowly and languidly brought her close to him, at her thighs, abdomen and then chest as she kneeled, descending promisingly upon him. Her hypnotizing eyes, though, were far from amorous.

"Tell me, youkai. Do you think your men got what they deserved by swimming through their innards, or should I go back to them and complete the job? I would like to ask all those women and child that you tortured in the past hours, but they seem to have taken their leave already. What do you think?"

He was trembling under her body as he felt her strong legs firmly push his own against the dirt ground of the forest, her claws digging into his shins. A painful scream left his lips as her tail slowly wrapped around his torso, imprisoning his muscular arms in a solid grip, leaving bloody wounds were the sharp edges of the appendage met with his bare skin. Her hands then reached for his face and started caressing his neck and nape sensuously. Her head bent down to his own, her tiara brushing against his forehead, her lips whispering across his own. Her eyes that he found so endearing a few moments ago were now devoid of any sign of life, terrorizing black holes that threatened to aspirate his very soul into them. They showed nothing but the promise of a terrible death.

"By committing all these horrible acts, you made yourself the center of my attentions. Be honored, youkai, as your energy will become mine."

With that she tightened her grip upon his head and she bended over his frozen form, biting deeply at his neck, sharply cutting through muscles and tendons, reaching for the artery pulsing underneath his skin. And she drank, eagerly swallowing each stream of blood that met her lips, and in the same gesture accepting all the terrible images his mind projected toward her.

The youkai's face contorted and he screamed, flaring his youki in a desperate attempt at reaching his true form when he felt the intense pain of her bite. He found though that his energy was quickly depleting and he couldn't find the strength needed to transform. His sensations became a blur, the pained moans of his agonizing troops appearing to come from very, very far away, and then disappeared. The smells of the massacre wane and were replaced by an omnipresent, endearing aroma of foreign spices that filled his nose. The pain of the bite soon morphed into a voluptuous pleasure unlike anything he ever felt. His uncovered sex swelled between his bare legs and before he knew it, disturbing flashes of completely strange scenes appeared before his very eyes. He grew highly uncomfortable under those images, all of them coming from the black female that was now the center of his universe, and the pleasure he felt was soon mixed up with the revolting scenes that unravelled before his very eyes.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru first contact with the carnage was when an offending drop of blood dared falling upon his armor plate. He had followed a path that penetrated in the deep forest, trying to distinguish Kitana's smell from the pungent aromas that bathed the area, and as he advanced the smell of spilt blood became so strong that it entirely hid the presence of a body close to him. Looking at the blood stain and then raising his head, his brows went up under his bangs as a singular sight met his eyes.

Higher in the tree, a man was suspended on a tree branch. In fact, the branch was impaling him from side to side through his abdomen and his bowels were hanging freely below him. Something meaty was sticking from his mouth and when Sesshomaru looked more closely, he discovered that it was the man's own penis. Worse, the bandit was still breathing, weakly and with great difficulties, but he was still alive.

His eyes now reduced to slits, he removed himself from underneath the corpse and directed his gaze to the surrounding trees, examining them more carefully. Partially hidden from view by the green foliage of the trees, more bodies were dangling amongst the trees, as terrible fruits sprouted from hell. At least half a dozen of them were now visible to his eyes. All had been impaled or hung on strong tree limbs, eviscerated one way or another and flayed alive, the muscles of their arms and legs hanging from their bones. Most of them have had their genitals torn or ripped from their natural place and forcefully shoved between their lips. None of the injuries they received were directly fatal; their aggressor had taken great care in ensuring they would meet their end after enduring long moments of agony. It was pure torture. His sensitive nose skimmed through the repulsive aromas that thickened the air, and he discovered that Kitana's spicy scent was clearly upon the corpses, as difficult to detect as always but definitively present.

He did not know what to do with these findings. Sesshomaru did not care in the slightest for the men, they were as insignificant to him as insects, and if they chose to attack Kitana then she had the right to kill them. It was the savage brutality of the scene that confounded him. Torture was not uncommon in these warring years and it was a regular occurrence to stumble upon a battlefield or a raided village. He was not at all shocked by such sights, and at times he had been the perpetrator of such slaughters, when some impudent beings would not move themselves from his path. But this level of bestiality he had rarely met before and that was something to say for a seasoned warrior like him. If it was really Kitana who had gone berserk like this, he thought, she must have been completely infuriated at these men for whatever reason, or he was a really bad judge of character. He could not picture the being that played with Rin amongst flower fields slaying and torturing these men for fun. Or so he hoped.

Hearing the screams of panicked women and child that came running at him, he turned their way. The humans appeared unaware of his presence, fleeing with all they had got, and he fought against the desire to catch one and interrogate it when he saw what state they were in. Utterly terrified, naked and covered in filth, these pitiful creatures would not help him; their minds had been broken by captivity. Stealing his resolve, the taiyoukai steadily walked in the direction from where they came.

**SSSSS**

Kitana was almost done with the youkai, his heart having great difficulties now to pump the remaining blood into her mouth. He was weakly moaning against her neck, his eyes rolling upward, and his feeble hands now released from her grip were holding her by the waist. In a desperate attempt at getting a little more energy out of him she plunged her claws in the strong muscles of his arms, extorting a painful groan from his now white lips. Pleased by the way his heart reacted, pumping harder than ever, she did it again, this time embedding her feet's claws inside the tiger's thighs and violently jerking his body, tearing it apart. Her tail whipped from one side to another in a frenzied manner, opening long gashes in the youkai's legs and sides. When nothing was left in him, she plunged a hand below his ribs, breaking the skin as easily as if it had been a thin sheet of paper. After rummaging inside his thorax, she pulled out a still weakly beating, bloody heart to suck up the last drops of life from it.

It had been a grand meal, the youkai was exceptionally powerful. Her contented body was now filtering his immense energies from the consumed blood, storing it for later use. The waste that was left after the blood was completely purged of its power would be efficiently transformed into the dangerous acid that ran underneath her skin. She had no need for his flesh.

As she slowly came out of her bloodlust, Kitana realized she was not alone in the clearing. The abused women and child had long ago freed themselves and fled to wherever they belonged to, and the disembowelled men were long dead. No, a new creature was present. Shaking the last remainder of her trance from her senses, she recognized the energy signature immediately. Rising from her place, she turned halfway and met none other than Sesshomaru, gazing at her with impassive eyes from the tree line.

He had seen everything. The cadavers laying in the middle of the place around an immense fire, the body of a male youkai writhing underneath her small frame, his arms lovingly encircling her slender waist, his face rubbing against her neck, his hardened sex shamelessly uncovered, everything. He was about to turn tail, absolutely disgusted but determined never to intrude upon Kitana in such a way again, when she did the unexpected. She reached for the male's arms and made deep gashes in them with her sharp claws, opening up the strong muscles as if they were nothing but an exotic, ripened fruit. Flashes of a deer subjected to a similar treatment entered his mind and he paused, examining the scene with a new understanding in his eyes. She was not rutting: she was feeding.

A shiver ran down his spine at the realization, and then he recognized the particular hair of this youkai. A white tiger youkai, from the North. This clan had been allied with his father in the great war against the panther tribes of the East. The white tiger tribe was usually peaceful, leaving secluded in the most northern parts of Japan and on the continent, but their power rivalled with his own. Yet, Kitana had reduced one of them to an utter mess with no difficulty. How disturbing.

"Explain yourself, woman," he calmly told her as she rose and turned to face him, his mind whirling with an infinity of hypothesis about her strength and her performance in the clearing.

Kitana was now defiantly facing him, positioning her body over the remainders of her meal, her chin up in the air. Her eyes were slowly regaining their golden irises, burning with indignation at his intrusion, but for a moment Sesshomaru peered into the void of her blackened eyes and it froze him to the core.

She had no idea how the youkai lord would react to her way to sustain herself, and she feared a reaction similar to what happened with the deer. She should have been more careful and scanned the area more thoroughly for intruders before engaging in her feast. She could have waited, come back to spend the day with Sesshomaru and Rin and attack her preys when they slept, unaware of her activities, unconcerned by her wanderings. She was mentally berating herself for acting so boldly and foolishly, underestimating Sesshomaru's desire and ability to track her down. Now, she would probably loose whatever respect the taiyoukai had for her, a respect that she had worked so hard to obtain. Her world was once again crumbling away under her feet, once again from her own doing.

As Kitana did not answer him and still looked at him defiantly, Sesshomaru calmly reduced the distance between them, trying to filter the disturbing stench of the place by breathing through his teeth. It would not augur well to show his unease in front of her, not when he wanted to understand, maybe even to gain her thrust. His eyes left her own only to take a closer look at her victim. Yes, it was indeed a pure-blooded youkai from the Northern white tiger tribe.

She was scanning him quickly, in disbelief. For once, his calm demeanour matched with what he was feeling. She could feel very strong waves of disgust coming from him, and a curiosity that she did not expect to find there, but he was not about to behave angrily as was so often the case. Loosening up her stance a little, she spoke to him, bringing his full attention back to her.

"Why are you here?"

Tilting his head to the side, he said "This Sesshomaru could ask the same to you."

"You followed me. You tracked me. Even though I told you I chose to stay with you; even though all I asked was for you not to try to control me."

"Indeed."

"Indeed what?" she asked, irked by his cool reactions when she would have expected him to be blatantly furious at her.

"Indeed I followed you. This Sesshomaru had no idea, however, of what was keeping you away for so long. I had to be sure Naraku hadn't tricked you or captured you. You will explain your acts, now."

He was cold toward her, as he always was, but she was puzzled as he seemed somewhat amused by her attitude. Could he be trying to provoke her? Impossible, she thought, the context was too awkward to allow such banter. Her eyes reduced to slits in her confusion, she retaliated.

"If my dear lord would graciously allow me to clean up first, and then to find a more pleasant area in which we could linger, I may be more willing to explain myself, as you ask. Maybe. But for now I am filthy, I reek, and this place is even worse. I want to be out of here."

Raising an elegant eyebrow up in his bangs, Sesshomaru nodded while his eyes blatantly explored her body. He couldn't agree more with her suggestion. "Indeed. Some… things are easier to get off of one's skin if one does not allow them to dry up before cleaning up."

Wide-eyed at the audacity of his words and staring, she stayed frozen on the spot as he retreated out of the clearing. Slowly she shook herself out of the surprise she felt and she followed his lead, completely mystified by his attitude. How could he be so disgusted about her behavior, utter revulsion seeping from every pore of his skin when he looked at her, and then jest with her as if he never witnessed her meal? Her empathic abilities were put to the test with him, that was for sure. How she wished to know what thoughts triggered the emotions she could so easily feel.

Kitana was so deeply lost in her thoughts that she didn't noticed that Sesshomaru had come to a stop. Sidestepping elegantly to avoid any contact with her disgusting self, he spoke calmly, making her jump.

"This river would probably suit you."

He was right. They had left the deep forest to walk in-between two steep rocky cliffs, in the middle of which a large river flowed furiously. The turbulent waters had carved many small pools beside the rapids that were suitable as bathing areas. She would have fallen right into the rapid if he had not stopped. Smacking herself mentally for not even hearing the sounds of the rushing waters, let alone seeing them, she straightened her back and replied.

"Fine. Now why don't you look for a nice spot to settle and wait for me? I would rather prefer bathing alone."

Raising both brows, he gave her a side look. His answer was unexpected and incomprehensible to her.

"And This Sesshomaru would rather prefer keeping you under his sight. After all, who knows what activities you could engage yourself into when I am not present."

Having said that, he gracefully sat upon a large boulder on the riverbank, his hairs and fur flowing around him regally. Shaking her head in disbelief, Kitana lost no time. She jumped right in the cold running waters, ignoring the more quiet pools, and disappeared under the surface, determined to find a way to annoy the arrogant taiyoukai and to show him that she could leave whenever she wanted to. He could never track her underwater.

It was not her intention to escape from him, but she deliberately took more time than needed to clean herself, planting her feet in the rocky riverbed to fight against the swift current, not wanting to drift too far away. She needed time to calm down her confused mind. When she emerged from the water, she found him still seated peacefully on his boulder, exuding a real boredom. At least, she thought, his disgust of her was not his strongest emotion anymore.

As he made no move to leave the riverside, she jumped on the rocky wall beside him and installed herself comfortably on her heels a couple of feet above Sesshomaru, her feet sticking to the stone as easily as if it was covered in glue. His golden gaze rose to her face.

"You slaughtered them. Savagely. And your treatment of the tiger youkai was even worse, unfathomable." His voice was steady and calm but she felt some confusion and the dreaded loathing feelings of earlier coming from him. She wouldn't be the only one to be puzzled, she thought.

"I did."

He bent his head again, as if trying hard to understand the reasons behind what she did without directly asking for them. Looking at the rushing waters below her, she continued.

"They were monsters. Every single one of them. They only got what they deserved. And yes, I fed upon their leader, with bliss. His heart was the darkest I ever destroyed."

Frowning lightly, he pushed her further. He wanted to know; more, he needed to know. No matter if it alienated her to him. He had never once stumbled across such an infuriating, yet disconcerting creature. She was enraged now, and he would have his answers.

"So, you impose yourself as judge, jury and executioner of your own justice, putting out all that circus for the sake of getting a meal without feeling guilty of killing an innocent being? Do you base your judgement upon their looks, was it enough for you that they were poor human bandits and rogue youkai to warrant your attack?"

Seeing red, she jumped from her cliff and landed on his boulder, crouching menacingly beside him with her fangs bared. Her temper now was perfectly matched with the uncontrollable rapids rushing by their side, and as the rapids, she would destroy everything that stood in her path before calming down.

"You! You insufferable aristocratic snob! You know nothing about the reasons behind my decisions, and yet you are the one who judges me! Yes, I do feed upon higher beings, I need their energy to sustain myself, and yes I do my best to choose the scum amongst them, so I feel as if at least my murders have a purpose beyond my own survival. You have no right to pass judgment upon me, as you have your fair share of blood upon your very own hand."

He blinked once, then twice, before answering coldly, his brows frowning further as he spoke.

"This Sesshomaru, as you pointed out, perpetrated a long list of what you would probably consider crimes, and will surely continue to do so in the years to come. Yet, you did not try to end my days. Are you so perverse that you would have continued to act like a faithful companion, letting Rin grow fond of you, only to try to slaughter me later on? This Sesshomaru has no need for traitors amongst his group, ready to stab him in the back when the occasion arises."

That was it. He had done it. She couldn't stand his accusations anymore, but she wouldn't leave before showing him the truth. He would know everything before she would disappear from his life, for good.

With a hiss, baring her fangs and showing him her inner set of jaws with her eyes now in their completely golden state, she raised both hands and placed them on his temples, forcefully turning his head toward hers. Mesmerized, he allowed her to do so, his gaze never faltering from her outraged eyes. With a low voice, little more than a whisper menacing to be blown away by the sounds of the rushing rapids, she warned him.

"You want me to explain myself? I disgust you, don't I, Sesshomaru? Well, you will learn about beings even more horrible than I am. I'll ask you one question, though: if a monster destroys worse monsters, can it transcend its nature and become something better?"

With that being said, she jumped and crouched low over him, one clawed feet set on the rock on each side of his thighs, her hands never leaving his temples. Their gazes locked into one another while their faces were mere inches away from each other. And it began.

When she first jumped beside her, Sesshomaru curiously found that he had no reason to react. For the first time in a long life, he discovered he had put his faith in a being other than himself, allowing this being to threaten him with dangerous weapons and powers without fear of being harmed. Not really because he was stronger or more powerful, which he was without doubt, but simply because he trusted her not to bring harm to him. However, when she reacted so aggressively to his provocations, he thought that maybe he had overdone it. But even if he had faith in her he still wanted answers. She was ashamed of her behavior, that was clear to him, and she would never speak about it if he did not cross the boundaries; so he did.

A flow of images assaulted his mind as she positioned himself over him. At first he understood nothing, it was going too fast, but as his vision of Kitana's face blurred and blended with the images she sent him, he started feeling things and the meaning of what he saw became clear.

He was looking at a village in flames, with bodies and dying peasants scattered everywhere. He was happy, truly happy, as he observed a group of bandits assaulting a young woman. Laughing, he went to the screaming woman, tore her tongue out and slashed at her neck with his feline claws, and brutally raped her dying body.

Multiple similar scenes succeeded themselves, flooding his mind with atrocious tortures, rapes and unspeakable acts committed upon weak humans and youkai. The images superimposed upon one another, creating a never ending succession of atrocities and crimes far worse than what he could ever have imagined. However, at the same time a totally indecent and unwelcomed sexual pleasure started to grow into him, filling him up as he witnessed and committed these terrible deeds.

Then the scenery changed for the last time and he recognized the settings; he was now looking at the very clearing where he found Kitana earlier, consuming her meal. He was still amongst human and youkai bandits but this time they had taken prisoners, women and child of both sexes, and were torturing them. He was looking from a close to the ground point of view, seeing objects such as axe handles and sword scabbards used to violate the prisoners by every body openings, witnessing as the bandits forced the prisoners of every age to take their sexes in their mouth or receive their semen on them. Pure bliss was overcoming his senses as he looked to the vile profanations that were committed around him. He then turned his gaze on what was struggling and fighting under him, to the creature that he was actively penetrating, tearing out its flesh with his large, swollen member, and he climaxed violently as he peared into the panicked and teary eyes of a young girl who looked terribly similar to his Rin.

Kitana released Sesshomaru from the vision just as he stumbled forward down the boulder and spilled his stomach's contents on the riverbank. He was still retching painfully when she approached him, a deep hurt clearly visible through the tears in her eyes.

"Now you know what I felt, what I saw when I came in contact with this creature. Did you enjoy it? Do you still think that I chose him upon a whim, to ease my mind? You have felt what I felt when I fed upon him, dishonouring and raping these women and children from his very own point of view, taking the same pleasure he had while he did so, and at the same time being so horrified by those unspeakable acts that I wanted to tear my own heart from my chest, to rip my skin from my very bones if it could erase all memories of my contacts with him. These things he and others like him have done will pursue me for the rest of my life, awakening me at night, troubling my vision in broad daylight. I would immensely prefer having visions of fluffy little bunnies playing in flower fields when I feed upon my preys, but then I would truly be a monster."

Having said these words she left him, plunging in the violent waters. One could not feel one's tears underwater, she thought as she swam away from her humiliation.

Sesshomaru was at a lost. He was, for the first time ever, totally humiliated and feeling ashamed of himself. He tried to understand where exactly things became out of hand, but he couldn't tell. The results were obvious though: he had been subjected to a terrible torture of the mind, was now drenched in his own vomit and, as if it was becoming a habit, semen was caking up along his thighs. In the meanwhile, Kitana had left him there, kneeling in a puddle of vomit to flee gods knew where.

Steadying himself upon the boulder, he slowly rose. This girl really turned his entire world upside down when she awoke from her long sleep, shattering every certitude he had about himself and his world as easily as if they were made of a thin layer of glass, and then dancing upon the remains of his self-confidence. It would not do.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and the Alien stories and characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

**Chapter 11**

Sesshomaru took some time to thoroughly clean himself in a shallow pool bordering the violent river. Before his eyes, the scenes that happened earlier, both in his head and in reality, were replaying again and again. Shaking his head, he called forth his youki and rose in the sky, heading toward the dreaded clearing where everything spiralled out of control. The blackened sky was turning a deep marine blue, edging on pink at the eastern horizon where the sun would soon rise.

His black boots delicately touched the ground beside the desecrated body of the tiger youkai. The fire was dying for lack of wood to feed on, and its smell mixed up with the stench of blood, death and sex to create a sickening symphony of aromas that the taiyoukai would not forget soon enough.

His cold golden eyes settled upon the nude, disfigured form of the youkai. For a long moment he pondered if he should revive him, if Tenseiga would be powerful enough to remove those terrible injuries from his body and bring him back to life. For if the tiger was breathing, he could kill him once again, kill him to destroy the memory of what he saw, kill him to avenge himself for the humiliation he received, kill him to extinguish his rage at the unexpected failure of his questioning of Kitana. Kill him to expel the last remnants of the disgust he felt for her actions mere hours ago.

Instead, he extended his hand toward the carcass and let his dokkasou engulf the criminal, rejoicing when the acid started to eat through the flesh. Nothing would be left of that creature who only knew how to bring destruction to this world. Sesshomaru was not an avenger, not a hero; he was much too cynical to try to save anyone but himself. But the ways of this demon were so revolting that had he known he would have ended his life by himself. Now all he could do was watch as the earth sucked in the liquids that once were a tiger youkai.

Returning to the skies, he let his mind wander toward the black-skinned creature that had been part of his life. She had grossly misinterpreted his reactions and fled away from him; she was now a danger to what was his to protect, and he was at a loss at how to react to this. Should he go after her and bring him back to his group or be happy to be rid of her presence, he didn't know. Pursuing Kitana this very night was useless; she would certainly not want to be found and he would simply loose his time. He decided to give her some time to herself, let her come to him from her own free will. If she didn't come back, it would be her decision, not his, and there was not much he could do about that. He would deal with the consequences later. On the other hand, he knew she was not particularly attached to her life and he had unintentionally severed the only ties she had with this world. He wondered if she would do something stupid before he could meet with her again.

He finally caught up with Rin and Jaken who were preparing the morning meal, Jaken as unwillingly and Rin as happily as usually. He sat before them and watched as they activated themselves around the camp, gathering wood for the fire or watching as the mushrooms and fish roasted near it. The face of the young child he mentally held under his body imposed itself over Rin's features, the two girls so similar to each other that he had to avert his eyes and look away. Fighting against renewed waves of nausea, he almost shuddered thinking that flashes like this one were probably a daily occurrence for Kitana. His posture as straight and as proud as ever, he decided he would somehow find her again and set things right with her. He did not care about her tears, or about her opinion of him; he simply wanted his inner peace brought back to him. Maybe she would know what to do.

**SSSSS**

Kitana wandered aimlessly for about two weeks, travelling mostly by night and resting during the day. She purposely avoided meeting with Sesshomaru and his travelling companions; the intense waves of disgust she felt from him were enough to deter her to have contacts with him forever. His position was relatively easy to determine for her: his huge energy signature, unrivalled by most of the inhabitants of the country, was like a beacon to her senses.

So she travelled in the opposite direction, oblivious to the fact that he was following her from afar. She was blinded by her sorrow and angered at herself for having let Sesshomaru witness the worst side of her. The monster in her. She made a point to slaughter every group of bandits and each lower youkai that crossed her path, unleashing her fury upon them and secretly hoping that maybe one of them would be strong enough to put an end to her misery. She had tried in a faraway past to destroy herself; however the symbiotic creature that she used as clothing was ruining every attempt that she made by hardening and deflecting any blade she used. Her love, Jess, found it on a strange altar on a planet inhabited by the creatures she was born from. At first she had been afraid of the thing, as when she touched it black tendrils sprouted from the jewel and totally covered her body with a thin black membrane. She couldn't fight against it, nor remove it from herself, but the thing apparently wanted her to be alive and well and she wasn't harmed in her struggle to get free from it. The following months she slowly learned how to control it and use it to her advantage as a moldable suit; the thing reacted to her very thoughts and desires, shaping itself instantly to answer her needs. She was glad to finally be able to wear apparently normal clothing, her unique anatomy making it difficult for her to dress herself. The usefulness of the symbiote as an armor was discovered later on, and only physical attacks that she could not anticipate were able to pierce through it. She was now determined to find a creature strong and swift enough to deliver her that kind of blow.

In her rampage, she found herself back to the dreaded hot springs where she had intimately met with the red-haired Ines. She had lost count of days and nights while travelling blindly toward her death and upon hearing the bubbling sounds of the hot water and feeling the heated, damp air on her skin she decided that she could as well rest there for the day, hidden from view amongst the luxuriant foliage of a tree. The idea of a hot bath was appealing to her. She did not care about bathing for days and was nothing but a filthy mess, her claws and tail caked with old, dried blood. So she settled in the tree and dozed away, waiting for the sun to set and allow her the safe use of the place.

She was awakened from her slumber in the late afternoon by a group of poorly dressed women carrying small infants to the hot springs. Bathing and cleansing the younger ones was a dangerous necessity; hypothermia menaced their survival when bathed in the cold rivers and wood was too expensive to be wasted for a toddler, so the mothers of the nearby village walked to the hot springs twice a week with their child in tow. None of them knowing how to swim, they used the shallowest basin for their needs, chatting idly. One of them said something that caught Kitana's interest.

"That poor Ines. As if she had not had enough burdens to bear, with her strange hair and foreign heritage, now a demon possesses her!" exclaimed one of the women, who was better-looking than the others.

"A demon you said?" asked an older woman.

"Yes, a demon! I saw it with my own eyes while I was cleaning her room at the lord's castle. She was trashing madly, two men were needed to hold her down while I gathered the broken remnants of what she destroyed! I tell you, the pricey vases that I picked up in pieces would have fed my family for months!"

"Trashing around in a temper tantrum does not mean one is possessed by a demon, Yuri-chan." The old woman's affirmation was said as if she thought the other completely stupid.

"But I tell you! She kept uttering insanities about how her powerful demon lover would come to her and free her from the tyranny of men, destroying the ones who would stand in her way! If you heard her voice then, you would know what I am talking about! I still shiver when I think about it! She is clearly possessed!" she said with conviction.

A third woman, who seemed to be more reserved than the other two, entered their conversation while she rubbed the dirty skin of a three-years-old boy with raw, home-made soap.

"I heard, Yuri-chan, that two different exorcists tried to cure her from her hallucinations and they failed."

"Oh I know, I know. But what could an old miko and a half-senile monk do against such a strong demon? This girl was sane a month ago, before the night where they found her here, you know. I would say that she got possessed by the spirit of the hot spring on that night, and now it is lingering inside her body. If you lot were not accompanying me here today, I would surely not bathe my poor child in these dangerous waters!"

Kitana sighed inwardly. The humans' typical unawareness of their surroundings still amazed her, but she wouldn't be the one to tell this woman that danger was lurking not in the water but above her head. So, the princess was going crazy because of her, did she? She was definitively skilled at disappointing people, she thought. At least she could try to fix that mistake.

She waited until they left before descending from the tree and immerging herself in the water. Trying her best to rub the crusts of blood from her body, she sighed, wishing she had a piece of this soap she saw the women use earlier. It would not be an easy task to clean up without it, but she had a rendezvous with a princess this very night and had to be proper for it.

**SSSSS**

A couple of hours later, as the sun was slowly setting on the horizon, an ill-assorted group of people were hungrily devouring a meal in a small room on the second story of the castle. Around them, folded on many shelves were hundreds of beautiful court kimonos. Sleeping mats were furled in a corner with a large, yellow worn-out bag. A monk and a leather-clad female demon slayer were sitting side by side, the monk sporting a red handprint on his left cheek and a pleased, hazy look in his eyes. Before them a strangely clothed young girl held a young fox youkai child in her arms. The child was fighting with a white-haired dog hanyou clad in bright red haori and hakamas for a rice ball when a "Sit boy!" and a load crashing noise was heard.

"Kagome-chan, wasn't it a little too extreme to sit Inuyasha? The princess could have heard!" said the slayer.

"He was asking for it, Sango. Really, he was. He has been robbing Shippo's food all night long. Beside Miroku's barrier is supposed to block all the noises and scents from us, isn't it Miroku?" answered the black-haired girl with a green skirt, Kagome.

"And our auras, dear Kagome-san, and our auras. This barrier could fool Naraku himself!" retorted the monk while he rubbed his aching cheek. The slayer was eyeing the hand occupied with the cheek warily though, as if suspecting it of hiding its true destination.

Sighing, the slayer responded.

"Yeah I know, but it couldn't prevent the floor to collapse under Kagome's spell, could it?"

"Oi, wench!" yelled the boy in question. "There's no way her spell would be strong enough to do that! I didn't even felt it! Feh!" said an insulted Inuyasha, straightening up his posture, arms crossed and chin in the air. The fox imitated his attitude, protected by Kagome's arms coiled around him.

Kagome rolled her eyes up and resumed eating, not paying attention anymore to the antics of the fox child and Inuyasha.

"So monk, couldn't you ask for a better room than this closet? We are cramped in there! And those holy sutras you put around the room give me the creeps!" asked the dog-eared boy.

"My dear Inuyasha, it was the only way we could be close enough to the princess to assist her in case the demon came by. She is obviously not possessed, as nothing happened when I hit her on the head with my staff, so we now have to capture the demon that haunts her."

"Monk, if you hadn't hit her, she wouldn't had fallen unconscious, knocked out by your blow, and the Lord may have given us a better room to lodge in," said the slayer with her arms crossed, a nerve pulsing on her forehead signalling her ire. Sighing, the monk retaliated.

"My dear Sango, as I explained to the Lord, it is the holy energy she received that put her in a blissful sleep. As she hasn't slept well for weeks, it was good for her!"

"That's NOT the point. Beside, Miroku, aren't you able to make an invisible barrier? That would have saved us the humiliation of hiding in a closet, peeping to the princess by a hole in the door!" added the irate slayer.

It had been three days now that they were crammed inside this walk-in. Granted they spent the day outside in the village, buying food and supplies for their travels, but each evening they had to return to their uncomfortable chamber to spy on the princess.

It was Kagome who first led them to that country town. She detected the presence of a Shikon jewel shard nearby and, as it was one of the group's quest to assemble the pieces of the jewel before their enemy, they had explored the large village. To their surprise, they had found that the jewel was embedded in the shoulder of a foreign girl, a girl who was promised to the youngest son of the local Lord.

The woman was clearly not well in her head, but it was hard to tell if it was from the effect of the jewel or from her true personality. She had shrunk away from Miroku's touch, a behavior that was perfectly normal considering the lecherous ways of the monk, but it became weirder when she refused Kagome's presence around her. She spoke madly about her lover, a strong demon who would destroy them all, and they had decided not to intrude upon the princess anymore. Rather they would wait to see if a youkai would come by for her, and maybe discover who had implanted the girl with the shard. Inuyasha's nose detected very faint traces of something similar to Naraku's stench on the girl, and it comforted them in their decision.

Three long days had passed since then, with three nights spent piled up in this closet. The food was not bad, but the Lord's patience was wearing thin and soon the monk's head couldn't take anymore hits from the demon slayer. All the more reasons to end this farce as quickly as possible.

In the late afternoon, Kagome had suddenly let go of a vase she was examining at a local shop, and Inuyasha barely managed to grab it before it shattered on the ground. Irritated by the girl's attitude, he was about to chide her rudely when she spoke.

"Shards are coming this way. At least three of them. They are to the south-west, about an hour away from here."

The friends had sternly regrouped, convinced that whatever was coming close to the town was linked somehow to the shard in the princess' shoulder. They decided to let it come to them, and if it didn't they would chase it down the next day. They had to get these shards and free the princess from her curse, but they also needed the money promised by the Lord and they would get nothing if they killed the demon out there in the woods.

A small mewing resounded in the small closet, causing everybody to still. A tiny two-tailed cat that was standing at the door, looking at the other side by a small hole, had all its hairs standing on ends.

"Something is coming! Everyone prepare yourself!" said the monk, raising, a pile of sutras in hand.

Kagome rose alongside him, adding "The demon with the three shards is coming straight at us!"

In the room, the princess was not sleeping at all. She was not aware of the presence of the strangers in her closet, for the door had been shut from the inside when she destroyed pricey kimonos the week before. For weeks now she had waited for the return of her lover. A sudden movement at the window made her turns her head and a large smile adorned her face as a slender, feminine black creature entered the room by the windowsill.

"My love, I knew you would return to me!" exclaimed the princess before throwing herself in the arms of the creature.

At the same moment, the doors of the closet opened and many holy sutras were hurled forcefully at Kitana, sticking to her forehead, shoulders and arms. Kagome was targeting her with a pink glowing arrow and Inuyasha and Sango backed them up, swords at the ready. Kirara ran to the window in her small kitten form before transforming in a roar, effectively blocking the only way out of the room. The fox child was the only one seemingly unafraid, as he decided to hide in the closet and finish up the food while everyone was occupied slaying the vile demon.

Kitana was dumbfounded. She had hoped to enter the room unnoticed and try to reason with Ines, and instead she found herself surrounded by a group of menacing people that her senses didn't detect before they barged in the room. She normally would have reacted to their attitude with a swift movement from her tail, beheading or gutting them before they could execute their threats, but she was faced with another problem: her movements were severely impeded by the red-headed girl who was all over her. She tried to push her back by the shoulders, but the princess held her by the neck and wouldn't let go. The girl's first intentions were clearly to kiss her but she was as startled as she when the others made their entrance and now was holding onto her for her dear life. Highly irritated, Kitana hissed, baring her fangs.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked from beneath the sutra glued to her forehead, frowning in a typical Sesshomaru way.

"Don't move, demon! Or you will feel the steel of our weapons!" said Sango.

"My love, protect me from them, they are evil, I recognized the monk, he attacked me with his staff!"

The said monk was not concerned by the princess at all though. Worry seeped from him as beads of sweat slowly rolled from his forehead, only to be caught by his frowned eyebrows. He never imagined that they would have to face such a strong youkai. The sutras he used were powerful enough to completely immobilize Inuyasha himself and kill lower youkai, so why was it not effective? Analyzing the scene, he realized he didn't felt any demonic aura coming from the creature, who was clearly struggling to be freed from the princess rather than worried about the sutras or the weapons pointed at her. The struggle itself was soft and gentle, as if the weird female did her best not to hurt the girl. Something here was not right. Kagome said that three shards were approaching, yet this female didn't act like a demon possessed by the tainted power of Shikon shards. Could Kagome be wrong? Was the real demon lurking outside, distracting them with this creature while he sneaked upon them?

"Ines, stop that!" Kitana said to the amorous and terrified girl. "Don't you see what is happening? You are becoming crazy!" she added, trying to be firm but not wanting to hurt the princess.

Shippo, as clever as he was, jumped on Kagome's shoulder and whispered very loudly in her ear, "Kagome, don't you think it's strange that this youkai has not tried to eat the princess or to kidnap her? She doesn't even use her as a hostage! It's as if she was the one under attack by the princess, really!"

Tension was heavy in the room, everyone's eyes were glued to the weird black female youkai who was clearly unable to untangle herself from the princess limbs. She stopped moving when she heard the high-pitched voice of the fox and replied, "Of course I would not eat- well, kidnap her! Who would want such a brat around anyway, throwing fits of temper whenever something displeased her! Sorry, but not me. Couldn't one of you help me with her rather than just stare at me?"

Of course no one from the group helped her, and in despair she used the only thing she knew that could peacefully put an end to the girl's fight. In a flash she stung her neck with the tip of her tail, rendering the princess immediately unconscious. When Ines became flaccid in her arms, Kitana knew she did the wrong thing. The princess' protectors were now convinced she was an enemy to exterminate. Using the limp body as a shield, she protested vehemently, wide-eyed, as the aggressiveness of her opponents reached new heights.

"Wait, wait, all of you wait! Couldn't we just talk it through like reasonable, civilized people instead of waving weapons and arrows and… pieces… of paper… around?" she said, removing the sutra from her forehead. The quizzical look she put on the offending piece paper added to the awkwardness of the situation, confirming a disturbing doubt in the mind of the monk.

"Talk…. it through, you said?" asked Miroku.

"Feh! Since when fucking youkai want to discuss rather than have a good fight?" Inuyasha added venomously.

"SIT boy! I told you not to use this word, you just never learn!" said an irate Kagome, realizing too late that she had just rendered their best fighter useless in the midst of a difficult situation.

With a thud, Inuyasha's face met with the wooden floor for the second time this night. His body, though, was not the only one to hit the floor as Kitana was so surprised by the intervention that she let go of the limp princess; she then hastily tried to catch her up, miserably falling beside her.

Slowly sitting herself and rubbing her bruised forehead, Kitana looked at the young people around her with a tired look on her face.

"Since three of us are already acquainted with the floor, and that I and the boy over there will probably be having a hell of a headache in the next moments, maybe it would be better if the rest of you joined us down here? This whole ordeal is becoming highly ridiculous. I am here to help the princess, you seem to have the same purpose in mind, so I suggest we start it all over again from the very beginning and you help me understand what is going on here."

Miroku and Kagome looked at each other. The situation was so irregular that in their confusion they were tempted to follow Kitana's suggestion. Kirara, Inuyasha and Sango on the other hand, were well-versed in the treacherous ways of youkai and were not ready to give her any chance at attacking their companions. The demon slayer steadied her stance and waited warily, while her friends finally sat themselves in the middle of the room.

Kitana took a deep breath, definitively cursing the day when Sesshomaru saved her life. She wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't from him and she would find a way to make him pay. Remembering his green face while he was retching uncontrollably on the riverbank, she told herself that maybe, he already paid the price. Sighing, she looked at the group carefully before talking.

"So… Will one of you explain me what the hell is going on here? I was expecting guards maybe, not…" she said, her glance jumping from one face to another. "Not a group of enraged teenagers!"

Once again, she missed a very good occasion to keep her mouth shut.

"Feh, we aren't no teenagers, youkai!" Inuyasha answered, clearly irritated at the comparison between him and an immature human boy. "Don't you have eyes to see? We are strong fighters and we've been hired to destroy the demon who possessed this princess, like it or not!" he said, crossing his arms and raising his chin up in the air in an arrogant way.

"Yeah, like it or not!" mimicked Shippo from Kagome's shoulder, waving his little fist in the air in an attempt at intimidating Kitana.

Kitana was now fighting against laughter. She could easily sense their confusion, the outrage of the red-clad boy at behind called a teen, the fear that the young fox child was trying to hide behind his threats, and what interested her most, the curiosity coming from the most level-headed members of their group, the monk and the young sitting girl. She decided she would use that at her advantage and maybe, maybe, be gone of this room with no more princess problems on her hands.

"Well, please forgive my impertinence. Let's call it a truce, okay? I am Kitana, and I am here tonight to help Ines go over her… confusion. For she is no more possessed than anyone of us. She just has a… hard time adjusting to her new life as a future wife, that's all, really. She needs a good talk to settle the matters, that's all."

"Like hell she is not possessed!" continued the hanyou, now rising again. "The girl has a jewel shard embedded in her, and we all know who did that! Beside, you reek of blood, youkai. Did you really think you would fool us with your sweet talk? Really, you sneak in covered in blood, put the girl out of consciousness and expect us to sit and talk to you? Do you think we are stupid, stupid?"

The tension grew again. Sighing, Kitana studied the foul-mouthed boy with more attention. So, he had smelt blood on her, did he? His sense of smell clearly surpassed that of the others, and his silver hair reminded her of another one with a keen nose. There was no reason to lie to him if she wanted to settle things quickly and easily.

"Yes, you are right; I was attacked by human bandits on my way here. I also had to kill some offending youkai yesterday, and although I cleaned up their scents may very well still be on me."

Inuyasha's gazed was trained upon hers, and none of them wanted to be the first one to look away. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he diverted his gaze from the weird female with a "Feh!" He would not trust her, but at least his friends were warned that she was truly dangerous.

A little more at ease, Kitana surveyed the occupants of the room one by one and stopped at the monk.

"What did he mean by a jewel shard embedded into her?"

Miroku coughed in his right hand, before settling his gaze into hers.

"Please, do not concern yourself with the words of our friend, when he is angry he says things that make no sense. If I may ask, how exactly did you want to… help her?" asked Miroku. "By rendering her unconscious?"

Kagome gave the monk a solid elbow nudge in the ribs, while Kitana looked at them with a puzzled face.

"Well… she won't be out for long, just long enough to find a solution without being… disturbed… by her inappropriate behavior."

If she could have flushed, Kitana would have at this very moment.

"Who are you, to her? The princess seemed to know you intimately? Why do you think you can help?" asked Sango, sword still pointed to the stranger, ready to attack at the slightest sign of danger.

Kitana really felt a headache coming. The others could be swayed relatively easily, but this one would prove difficult. Bracing herself for what was to come, she answered with honesty.

"Ines and I have… met some weeks ago. I saved her and her party from the attack of demons, and we ran into each other again some days later, at a hot spring. She was already a mess, believe me, but I was too weak at the moment to detect it or… resist her. She… looks strikingly similar to a beloved one that I lost long ago. When I realized what I had done it was too late; I left her but she became crazy, completely revolted. As I seem to be part of her problem I want to mend up what troubles I may have caused. I thought I could talk her out of her folly. But even after that she will still be fragile, she can't accept being forcefully married to a man, and she will need help."

Everyone was digesting the information when Kagome talked.

"It was her who, ehm, well, you two had… with… and then you left and… Really?" she stuttered, flushing a nice shade of red.

Kitana closed her eyes, counting up to ten before answering. Throbs of pain were assaulting her head and she couldn't decide if the cause was the fall or the utter mess she was entangled in.

"Well, if you want to know if she seduced me, then the answer is yes. Really. But it was a big mistake from my part to let her have her ways with me and I have to fix it. The girl may be possessed, but not by a youkai. It's her own inability at dealing with reality that's harming her most."

They were flabbergasted. A muscle twitched under Miroku left eye, Sango had completely relaxed her stance to look at Kitana wide-eyed. Inuyasha's face was as red as Kagome's and he tried to look everywhere but at Kitana, which was comical in a way since she was sitting right in front of him. It was finally Kagome who broke the heavy silence.

"Well, it's fine, really!" she said with a forcefully cheerful tone. "Really fine! You know were I am from there are many couples like you and her, I mean it's still weird but it is accepted, it's called homosexuality and it's not that much of a difference you know, the important thing is love, really it's fine, well it gets more complicated for babies and religious wedding and all but you know when you love someone you don't care about what sex he or she is, it's just love and… it's fine really!" she added, sounding completely unnatural and embarrassed. Kitana was amused by her antics; it was as if she was even more uncomfortable than herself about the whole situation.

"Well Kagome, I wouldn't say it was love, really" she said, mimicking her expressions, "it was more, like, purely physical in a way, but you are right it's no big deal. If you would just give me some time to fix the problem then we would all be on our way and… the Lord would be happy that you exorcised Ines! Don't you think it's the best idea?"

Miroku was mumbling, saying something like "two women… together… two…" while his eye still twitched and his hands began to do the same. Kagome and Inuyasha were unable to talk again, so Sango took the matters in her hands.

"What guarantee do we have that you won't harm her, youkai? I know your kind, and even though there are some good ones amongst you, most are destructive and unfaithful."

It was then that Kitana saw the small bottle that contained some jewel shards, hanging around Kagome's neck.

"Kagome, may I ask what is it that you carry around your neck, please?"

Kagome jumped, surprised, and hid the vial in her hand. "Well, it's nothing, really" was all she seemed to be able to say at the moment, like a scratched disk. The giant fire cat who protected the window growled when Kitana leaned forward to have a better look at the bottle and its content, effectively stopping her movement.

"Those… things are dangerous, you know. They can do terrible things to youkai, turning them into savage beasts. Why are you carrying them?"

Kitana's eyes were showing no greed or lust for the shards, only genuine interest and to some extent, wariness. It was Inuyasha who answered.

"It doesn't concern you at all, wench! It's what we do; collect the damn shards so they don't fall into the wrong hands." His tone was sharp and defiant, but she could tell he was not lying.

"So… you are telling me that you don't want to obtain the supreme power of these shards for yourself, even though you collect the pieces? Is it what you say? How do you want me to believe this?" she added with a severe frown.

"You don't have to believe us, youkai," said Sango, raising her sword again, "as it is none of your business. But Kagome here is one of the few who can purify the shards, removing all the taint from it. We will find a way to make it disappear when we complete it. Now answer my question, don't do as if you didn't hear me."

Kitana looked at Kagome intensely. The slayer was a hardened warrior, but she spoke no lie that she could detect, even though Inuyasha seemed to take offense at what was said. As far as she could tell, they had no ill-intent at all and it was true that the shards in the vial had a different energy than the ones she gathered. Fumbling in her small belly bag, Kitana put out the three shards that she found.

"Kagome. I found these while battling a strong youkai; they were helping him heal from his injuries faster that I could make new ones. If I give them to you, will you let me do what needs to be done with the princess? I promise no harm will come to her, and you will be the ones to receive the honors for her recovery."

Miroku was massaging his chin, thinking about the whole situation. It was unheard of for a youkai to give away jewel shards without an afterthought or a wicked plan in mind, and so far the only one who did that was Naraku himself. Also, this strange woman seemed to be really honest with her intentions about the princess, after all Ines was really a pain to deal with so who in his right mind would meet with her twice for the sake of helping her? Then his thoughts wandered, Ines, Kitana, and his eye and hands started twitching again…Until Kagome snapped him out of his daydreaming.

"So, Miroku… What do you think?"

"Feh! I say we take the damn shards and I get her acquainted with my Tetsusaiga!"

"Sit boy!"

As the power of the sacred beads forced the dog-eared boy to kiss the wooden floor once again, puzzling Kitana even more, Kagome waited for the answer of the monk. He was pensively stroking his chin.

"Well, it may be the better way to go. But of course you understand that we cannot let you alone with the princess at all. You will have to discuss with us as witnesses, to be sure that no harm comes to her."

Kitana scrutinized Miroku intensely, making him a little nervous. She sensed arousal from the monk, and now that she looked at her she realized that the leather-clad woman was very aware of it as well; she looked as if she could read the man's thoughts and was about to murder him.

"Well, then that's a deal! I think I've done enough harm, already. Here are the shards, take good care that they don't fall in the wrong hands."

She handed the shards to Kagome and was amazed to see the dark magenta swirls of energy inside of them replaced by a pure, bright pink one.

With the threat of the tainted shards gone, Sango and Inuyasha finally sat with their companions, still wary of the stranger but less tense.

"So, Kitana, I think you need to know something before attempting to reason with the princess, though."

It was the first time that one of them called her by her name, and it was a welcome change. The monk continued.

"Contrarily to what you said, Ines is truly under the control of some youkai. A shard of the jewel was somehow implanted under her skin, and it may very well be the reason of her disturbing behavior."

The ebony female was focused on the words of the monks, even though the slayer and the hanyou acted with a renewed suspicion after hearing his revelations.

"We know now that you have no interest in the shards, that's why I think I can speak freely to you about it. We have been ambushed here for days with the intention to catch the demon who embedded the shard there in the first place, and you showed up in its place. If the princess' previous behavior is triggered by the shard, then there is no doubt that she will not listen a word of what you have to say until the shard is removed."

"Well, then I'll let you remove it. She will awake soon, and I want her to be as normal as possible."

Nodding, the monk waved to Kagome. The young girl bended over the prone body, reaching with her soul to the dark shard that pulsed under the pale skin of the princess.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author's note: thanks for your reviews Moon-Baby, WhiteKnight and FluffySessho. I hope you continue reading and tell me if or when something is off! To everyone who made it up to chapter 12, know that reviews are highly appreciated!

**Chapter 12**

The group of young travellers hit the road on the following afternoon, their packages heavy with the rewards offered by the Lord and his son and their appetites satisfied for days. A feast had been set up in their honor and, as they couldn't stay any longer, the Lord had pushed his retainers and maids so hard that by noon everything was ready for celebration. The noble families of the town had been invited, alongside the heroes who exorcised the young princess, and her betrothal to the young son of the Lord had been announced during the grand meal.

"May I say, dear friends, that things truly turned out for the better this time? Now we can go back to tracking our enemy without worrying about how we will eat or where we will sleep for weeks!" exclaimed the monk joyfully, patting the purse hidden in his robes, heavy with coins.

"Feh! If you want my opinion bouzo, I say that all this was too much trouble for what we gained. If you puny humans weren't so fragile, we wouldn't even need this money to begin with. We would do much better hunting our food and sleeping outside in the open!"

"Inuyasha, how can you be so rude? We did great, after all! Without us, can you imagine what would have happened to the poor Ines?" commented Kagome.

"As if I care… At least we wouldn't have had to listen to the insanities that came out of the mouths of these two crazy women!"

"Well, my friend, I have to say that those two were pretty interesting at times, and even eye opening! Yes, it was a real awakening to meet them!"

A loud crack was heard as the heavy, bone boomerang of the youkai slayer met with Miroku's skull. The man faltered in his steps and ended up lying on his back in the middle of the road, unconscious.

"Sango! Wasn't it a little too much? I didn't even saw him grope you!" said the small fox child, perched on the shoulder of the slayer.

"Hear me, wench: I will not carry this lecher around now that you rendered him unconscious! Deal with it!"

The irate hanyou jumped ahead, leaving his friends a good fifty feet behind him.

"Kagome-san, I say he received what he deserves. Let him right there; he will join us when he'll come around. This monk is tough."

As to confirm the slayer's words, the said monk groaned and slowly raised his right hand to the back of his head, palpating the bump that was quickly growing there. Then he opened his eyes, to be faced with Sango's angered features.

"Ow. Am I dead? Is this beauty an angel?"

The vein on Sango's forehead seemed to bulge out of her skin as Miroku closed his eyes again.

"Beautiful angel, would you bear my child?"

She stomped angrily away from the lecher, joining with Inuyasha further down the road, while Kagome helped the monk on his feet.

"You never learn, you idiot, Miroku! Now she is truly angry." The high-perched voice of Shippo resonated in his skull as bells and he massaged his temples, trying his best not to wince.

"Yet, Shippo, I won't go back on what I said. This night was one of a kind."

Looking at him with resigned eyes, Kagome nodded her assent.

"Yes, I'm glad that we stayed and met with Kitana-san. Without her we wouldn't have succeeded, and she would have failed without us all the same. It was a real teamwork! I wonder if we will meet again."

The monk rose and nodded, agreeing with the young priestess before turning to join the rest of their group.

"The expectance of such a meeting brings joy to this humble monk, Kagome-san. That it does!"

Nursing his bruised head, the monk recalled the events that played out on the previous night.

**SSSSS**

Under the touch of Kagome's sacred powers, the fragment of the jewel embedded in the girl's shoulder emerged from the skin, its deep purple color turning to a pure pinkish white one. She grabbed it and put it in the jar around her neck, before returning her attention to the princess.

It didn't take long for the girl to come back to her senses, Kitana's poison finally reaching the end of its efficacy. Her greenish-grey eyes slowly opened to meet with three pairs of eyes full of concern; a young human girl, a human monk that her hazy mind seemed to associate with danger, and a black skinned female youkai with eyes of pure gold.

"You…"

Her small voice whispered this word, and then her eyes flew wide open.

"Oh no! You… you truly exist! I thought it was all a dream…"

The young girl closed her eyes again, tightly. Puzzled, the monk and miko looked at each other, before returning their focus on the princess.

"Ines, you are not dreaming, not now, not then. You have been manipulated, haven't you?" asked gently a concerned Kitana.

Sango kneeled between Miroku and Kagome, dropping her katana to the ground, and soon Inuyasha himself stopped acting uninterested and leaned forward to look at the girl.

As she opened up her eyes once again, she slowly reached for Kitana's arm. The ebony creature took hold of her arm and helped her to sit, before releasing her.

"I… I don't know… It is so weird…"

She directed her plain eyes to the Buddhist monk sat not far from her, furrowing her brows.

"If she was not a dream, then you are not one either… Did you really hit me with a staff, monk?"

Miroku smiled guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck with his bead-covered hand.

"Well, you see, you were possessed and I had to try something…"

Kitana took the attention of the princess back to her, before she could have the chance to throw a fit of anger toward the monk for his behavior.

"Tell me, Ines … You were not acting by yourself, weren't you? Someone was telling you what to do, is that it?"

The girl's eyes became charged with unshed tears, glistening under the moonlight that entered through her window. She bent her head toward her feet before answering.

"I… There was nothing I could do to stop it… I knew it was dangerous to wander alone to the hot spring and I didn't want to, I was really afraid, but I had no choice. Then when you appeared, I spoke words as if someone else was speaking through my mouth. I am so sorry… I acted like, like a whore! Really that's what I did! But…"

Inuyasha's nose wrinkled with disdain as the salty scent of tears reached his nose.

"But what, Ines?"

The girl turned back toward Kitana's inquisitive and soft gaze.

"But then… I started to like what was happening, and I stopped fighting. I stopped fighting against the thing inside me that made do these things! I… I enjoyed it! I loved it, it was like nothing I had ever felt! It is a bad thing, isn't it? Am I normal? Am I a whore now, am I still worthy? What happened to me?"

Tears now flowed freely on her cheeks, revealing the very tender age and inexperience of the girl. Uneasiness was palpable in the room as Inuyasha turned sideways, his cheeks burning. Kagome and Sango were also blushing, and Miroku seemed to be drinking her very words, his right hand twitching impulsively at his side. Kitana reached for her head, caressing her hairs gently.

"Ines, you did nothing wrong. It is normal to like what we did, it did felt good. It was good. And even if you had fought, you were controlled by a greater power, it was hopeless. Now what we need to know is who did that to you? Who gave you a shard to control you?"

Kagome brought Ines' attention to her as she opened her bottle again to show her the shards. The young princess focused onto them, her brows coming together in concentration.

"I think I saw one of these before, except it wasn't that pretty pink. More of a deep purple or magenta."

Kagome nodded.

"Yes, that's what we think controlled you. These are pure now, they are not dangerous" she added as the princess recoiled from the bottle. "Who gave it to you, Ines-san?"

The girl's frown deepened, as she became lost in her thoughts.

"It's hazy, but I see a beautiful woman with amazing red eyes. She appeared at my window a few days after you saved me from the terrible demons that attacked my party. I think that she spoke of making my wishes come true, I don't remember the exact words that she said, but she was very kind. After that, everything is a blur, except for our time together…"

It was her time to blush deeply as she remembered the intimate moments shared at the hot spring.

"Kagura!" yelled Inuyasha from his corner of the room. "A red-eyed wench, it can only be her!"

The monk was more circumspect though, and calmed his friend with a stern frown on his face.

"Well, Inuyasha, I would not expect Kagura to be the only youkai with crimson eyes around. Although she may very well be the only one able to give away jewel shards, I can't see why she would have done that… If it was just to try and seduce Kitana, she would have removed the shards when the deed was done… But then, what did she do that for? What did she had to gain?"

"I… I think I know a Kagura. Is she able to fly on a giant feather?" asked Kitana, her brows knitted together in concern.

"Yes she is. Red-eyed, with a huge fan that she use to control the winds and lower demons, and a feather to flee when things become too heated for her tastes… You met with her?"

Miroku's brain was working at full capacity, trying to understand the information that was disclosed this night. Kitana looked him in the eyes and nodded.

"She attacked me twice in the past, but I thought that she had given up. It's the first time for weeks that I hear about her."

"So, maybe this was aimed at you Kitana-san? Is that what you are saying? But why? It is an odd way to get to you. Naraku can be very tricky, but I can't figure this one out." Miroku didn't sense any youki from Kitana, meaning that she was probably one of the weakest youkai he had ever met; how she managed to get her hands on three jewel shards and resist their attraction was beyond his understanding. Naraku was interested in power, not in puny creatures except when he could take something from them. But what? It puzzled him.

"Me neither monk, me neither. But it surely changes things, now that I know that she hasn't lost track of me."

This information was very unsettling for Kitana. She was being followed, or had been, and didn't sense it. Or maybe she sensed it, but as she hadn't been in contact with Kagura long enough to memorize her energy signature, she may have mistaken her presence for one of the numerous lower youkai that lurked in the countryside. What was the witch trying to obtain by implanting a shard into this girl? Why use a girl to seduce her? Why a red haired girl who looked so similar to her past love? Somehow it meant that the woman knew things about her that she shouldn't, and it was highly disturbing. She returned her attention to the princess.

"Girl, you have been tricked and manipulated by a foul person, but know that what happened will stay in this room, between these walls, and will not stain your future wedding if you do not disclose it by yourself. I will now take my leave if you allow me to; I have matters to attend to."

The entire group rose, Kagome helping Ines on her feet before turning toward Kitana and gripping one of her hands in hers.

"Thanks for your help, Kitana-san. I'm sure now that the princess will be all better, thanks to you."

"I certainly hope so, Kagome."

With a smile she bowed to the two girls and the monk, Sango, Inuyasha and Shippo still eyeing her cautiously, and left them the same way she came to them.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was standing on a cliff, his gaze lost amongst the stars and small clouds scattered across the skies. He could hear his followers breathing slowly as they slept, exhausted by their day of walking across the countryside. All day long he pushed them at an unusual speed, pondering if he should take flight so he could move faster. For a few days Kitana's delicate scent came to him disturbingly intermingled with Naraku's one, or maybe Kagura's, only increasing his motivation to find her. Then, for a whole day she seemed to stay at the same location, not more than two days of walking away from him, and he had to fought and reason with himself not to leave his small group and go to her directly. Her travels had been erratic and aimless, her passage littered with numerous corpses that she disfigured and tortured greatly before leaving them to rot. If he didn't know better, he would have said that for the past two weeks his newest companion had deliberately avoided him. But how could she, for with a sense of smell rivalling with humans for its mediocrity, it was not possible for her to detect his whereabouts.

His eyes caught a shooting star, and he couldn't help wondering if another one like Kitana could have fallen from the sky with the star. Her skin as dark as the lost depths of space, her golden eyes like a sun rising to bring light to the darkness, her deadly claws delicately holding a young human child to her chest while they hid from an ugly green kappa, her soft lips that could open up on a kiss as well as on a nightmarish double set of jaws, she was a living contradiction all by herself. Looking in the direction were the star could have fallen, he deliberately turned the other way, decided not to cross path with another creature from space ever again. One was already too much.

**SSSSS**-

On that very same night, another soul was in turmoil.

Kitana was tired. Sitting upon a low branch in a great tree, she was thinking about what had happened in the last few weeks of her life. Meeting with the group of exorcists at the princess' castle, feeling the warm and welcoming gaze of the strange little priestess upon her helped her realize that she didn't really want to give up on life. What her heart truly longed for was acknowledgement, a true place for her to live in, accepted amongst other beings not as a monster but as herself. It was hard to be truly accepted by others when she herself was having difficulties dealing with her own nature. The rejection she felt when Sesshomaru surprised her while she fed was clearly a sign that she had not fully come to term with herself, as she had thought. For this rejection had not come from solely the taiyoukai, but from her as well.

Sighing, she cursed her fiery temper. If she did not keep it in check in the future it could cause greater harm to her than her hunger for blood, which she felt clearly now. Driven by her anger and desire to die, she had slaughtered every bunch of miscreants unlucky enough to come upon her without ever thinking about feeding. Now that she was ready to move on and needed some sustenance, there was none to be found for miles around, as rumors of a strong beast murdering every criminal in the region was already spreading amongst the community of bandits, thieves and throat-slitters. Not exactly the sort of people to rally against a common enemy, they had deserted the area, leaving for more promising and less dangerous lands.

She would have to resort to eat from a regular youkai or human with a low-level of energy, and it was an alternative that she did not appreciate at all as many of these beings were needed to satiate her appetites. Smacking her forehead in self-loathing, she suddenly remembered feeling a great, ominous energy near a lake she crossed earlier in her travels. Mentally searching for the being that emitted this dark signature, she found out that he was not very far from where she was; and not very far from a certain Taiyoukai she had been trying to avoid either. If she departed right away, she could reach the area in the afternoon and sustain herself. Only after that she would let Sesshomaru come to her, confront him again and wait for his justified anger and judgment.

**SSSSS**-

A couple of days after leaving the castle of the so-called possessed princess, Inuyasha and his group were walking through a forest, following what was supposedly a shorter way to reach a village they had heard about. From this place came rumors of a murderous lake-dwelling demon that devoured most of the people from the village and every traveller who tried to cross the lake to reach the small hamlet. A demon that these people had worshipped for generations and that never posed a threat before suddenly starting to eat his worshippers and anyone foolish enough to help them. The possibility that this demon had found or received a shard of the sacred jewel was very real and needed to be investigated. Or, as Inuyasha pointed out, exterminated. However the person who told them the way to the plagued village surely never tried his own shortcut, as after two days of walking they would obviously have reached the place have they gone on the main road.

The small forest track they were following finally seemed to orient itself in the direction they wanted to go, when a foul odor offended their noses. Used to find battlefields amongst their travels, with the accompanying procession of scents, insects and other carrion eaters, they covered their noses and continued despite the ever stronger smell. What they came upon, though, was not what they were expecting.

The scene was far from fresh, the blood that soaked the ground underneath their feet had long clotted and insect larvae were thriving in the foul, thick liquid. What was singular was that not a single body was in sight, until they raised their eyes to the higher branches of the surrounding trees. There they found the source of the stench and blood: about five youkai had been exterminated, hung by their guts to the tree branches like sinister Chinese lanterns. Putrefaction was well on its way, accompanied by a cortege of maggots and insects, gas and liquefaction. The flesh of the dead demons looked waxy and bloated, ready to explode under the pressure of the emanations it contained.

Their stomachs barely supporting the sight, the humans, hanyou and youkai passed quickly through the clearing when they were stopped in their retreat by a highly unwanted appearance. The graceful form of Inuyasha's loathed half-brother was walking toward them from the forest ahead, acting like he did not notice the carnage at all.

Inuyasha wasted no time; he unsheathed his Tetsusaiga and pointed it menacingly at the approaching taiyoukai. Behind him, Sango and Kagome also reached for their respective weapons, Shippo hiding behind Kagome's legs, while Kirara took on her larger battle form. The monk had not reacted yet, waiting to see what would unfurl from this unwanted meeting. Menacingly, Inuyasha shouted to the taiyoukai.

"Sesshomaru! You bastard, what are you doing here? Things won't go like last time I promise you, you'll feel the bite of the Tetsusaiga if you come any closer!"

Giving a disdainful look at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru asked him, "Where is she?"

He was calmly sifting through the numerous scents that came to his sensitive nose, no matter how offensive they were.

"Who the hell are you talking about, bastard?" Inuyasha retorted, still brandishing his weapon menacingly at his elder.

Sesshomaru's eyes became slit-like as what little patience he had toward the boy was disappearing quickly. "You will learn your place, hanyou. Do not deny it; her scent is all over you and your companions. You spent time with her recently. Do not dare lying to This Sesshomaru."

Miroku decided to take a more diplomatic approach as he tiptoed slowly to the silver-haired siblings, bowing deeply to the taiyoukai even though he was extremely nervous.

"Sesshomaru-sama, may this humble monk inquire about the identity of the person you are seeking? It would probably be easier to help you find her if we knew her name."

Slitting his eyes even more dangerously, the taiyoukai answered the monk.

"I do not need any help from you, monk; only answers to a very simple question. Where is Kitana?"

The members of the group paused, trying to decide what to answer. Their encounter with Kitana had not been a really pleasant one, but she caused them no harm. Furthermore, they were somehow indebted to her and none of them wanted to see her killed or wounded in a fight against Sesshomaru; not even Sango or Inuyasha, or the little fox child. As far as they knew, it was far from healthy to be tracked by the taiyoukai. Without even talking this amongst them, the decision was taken not to inform Sesshomaru about Kitana's presence in the nearby town a few days ago. What was difficult though, was to avoid redirecting his wrath at them and for that, he had to believe she was their enemy as well as his own. Surprisingly though, it was the young Shippo who tried to lure the taiyoukai away from the one they considered if not a friend, at least a temporary ally.

"Kitana you say?" he said, walking a few steps away from Kagome. He sniffed, disgusted, and added in a disdainful way, "yeah, we met with this whore but Inuyasha gave her a good beating and EEEPP!"

In a split-second the fox child found himself upside-down, peering at a pair of terrorizing golden eyes while his tail was sending him a painful indication that he was being held by the said appendage.

"You will regret your words, fox, for no one will sully her honor with such disgusting words," said the taiyoukai with an extremely cold tone of voice.

"But-but-but-it-was-Inuyasha-who-said-only-a-whore-could-do-what-she-did-with-the-crazy-princess-and-please-don't-kill-me-he-said-two-women-couldn't-be-lovers-it-was-abnormal-please-please-don't-kill-me!"

Everyone was about to engage the dreadful taiyoukai in the defence of their diminutive friend, even though the outcome was clearly not in their favor. Bone-boomerang and arrows were readying themselves, as was the Tetsusaiga. Once again though, it was Miroku who stopped the violence from escalating.

"Please Lord Sesshomaru, allow us to explain. We thought you were somehow ill-intentioned toward Kitana-sama. The young Shippo did not want to endanger her by sending you her way, as she is not our enemy. She has in fact been truly helpful to us in the past days. His words were born from his loyalty to her; as a fox demon he can be cunning."

His eyes were glued to the monk, even though his body and face were still facing toward Shippo, when Sesshomaru retaliated.

"Explain yourself, monk. This Sesshomaru is growing tired of your deceit."

"Sesshomaru-sama, it will be an honor for us to tell you how we met with the great Kitana-sama. However, may I ask that we leave this horrible place before continuing our discussion any further? The scents have a terrible effect on our feeble human noses and makes us confused and unable to think clearly, my Lord," said a bowing Miroku.

Sesshomaru looked at them all for a moment, before letting go of his hold over Shippo's tail. While the fox fell in the mud, the taiyoukai turned his back to his enemies and started walking away from the offending place, not waiting for them to follow him. They wouldn't go very far if they ever did a foolish attempt at escaping him, and he did not considered them a threat to his offered back.

"Oy, bastard! Don't you turn your back on-" "SIT boy!"

They already have had enough emotions for the day and Kagome certainly didn't want another hole pierced in Inuyasha's stomach…

The edge of the forest was very close to the disturbing massacre scene they just left, and soon they reached it. The trees thinned at the top of a hill and gave way to a meadow that became agricultural fields on the other side of a lazy, shallow river. Down beside the river, the group of travellers could clearly see the young Rin, clad in her usual orange and brown kimono, happily splashing water on a desperate-looking and very wet Jaken.

"Rin-chan!" exclaimed a very surprised Kagome, tears of joy making their way to her large blue eyes as she ran down the hill toward the duo. "Rin-chan, you are alright?"

The other members of the group were more subdued. Of course Kagome had told them about the disease that affected Rin some months ago, but they never fully understood what she was talking about and why she was so sad about the young child. Nonetheless they were now pleased to see their friend reassured over the fate of the kid. This young girl was likeable, despite her ill-chosen companions.

The child giggled and bowed to the dishevelled young lady. "Yes Kagome-sama, Rin is alright, it was just a puddle of mud. And Rin is almost clean now; it is master Jaken's turn to bath! Oh, and your friends too, maybe?"

The child was apparently totally oblivious of the reasons why Kagome was so excited. It was obvious though that she was in great health, healthy enough to play in the mud and cover both herself and Jaken in it. Kagome smiled at the young one's words and she looked at Shippo and Inuyasha, answering the child's question.

"Yes, Rin is right, you too guys do need a bath. This mud you are covered with is…" and she made a puking movement to make herself very clear.

"Feh! You forget that my clothes are demonic; they clean and mend themselves up, Kagome. I am not taking a bath!" answered a very grumpy Inuyasha, angry at being humiliated in front of his hated brother, not only once, but now twice in a few minutes.

"Inuyasha! Don't make me say it! It's not only your clothes that are filthy, but your face and hairs too! Don't you remember exactly what was that mud composed of? You will bathe! End of discussion!"

Shippo was already in the river with Rin, both of them now doing their best to drown the now brown, muddy kappa. Inuyasha was not about to let his guard down around Sesshomaru, but he had to recognize that the smell emanating from his person was sickening and he cleaned himself slowly in the river, his gaze never faltering from Sesshomaru's immobile form, a hand on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

The taiyoukai was apparently completely ignoring what was going on around him, his mind focused on smelling the breeze. When the tension came back amongst the group of travellers, he reported his attention to them. But before he could learn more about Kitana's whereabouts, Kagome opened her mouth. It was not his day.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I'm so glad that Rin is healed! Would you tell me how you managed to do that? It's great!"

He kept his face completely still, as if he had not heard her questions. Of course, she thought, he wasn't going to lower himself by telling her how he had saved a human child. But she knew he did it, and she was glad.

Sesshomaru let the tension build up again by staring at them, unblinking. His tall form was completely dominating them and soon he got what he was waiting for. The monk started to stutter a watered-down version of their encounter with Kitana, "forgetting" to talk about the heavy-handed welcome they gave her, making a point to depict her as a hero who came to save the day. Sesshomaru had no reaction at anything that was said, except when the monk tried to clumsily hide the reasons why Kitana had come searching for the princess. The taiyoukai had stopped his personification of an alabaster statue and frowned slightly, just enough so that the monk started to sweat profusely. The effects of the change were evident, as Miroku stuttering worsened as he hesitated, rubbing the back of his head with a hand while he tried to conceal his lies by hiding them behind dumb smiles.

"Do not lie to This Sesshomaru, monk. It is clear that we both know of the exact reasons why Kitana deemed necessary to intervene at the castle, and it was not to help you exorcise a demon."

"So, so you know Sesshomaru-sama?" added the monk. "Yes, yes of course you know, of course!" he completed when the eyes looking at him became slits. "It was just a very surprising situation for us all, difficult to accept, to say the least, and I'm surprised, no, not surprised, I am glad that you don't care about that Sesshomaru-sama, yes I am truly glad and it shows your –"

"Monk, stop blabbering insanities. You obviously know nothing of Kitana. If you knew her, her… preferences would not bother you in the slightest. Now tell me, when did she leave you, and do you know where she is now?"

Miroku could not answer, as Sesshomaru suddenly turned his head to the side, a frown on his face; then a gigantic demonic aura reached them all, explaining the taiyoukai's attitude and making the monk, demon slayer and priestess very uneasy. It was coming from downstream of the river.

"G-guys, I think I feel a jewel shard… That way," Kagome said, pointing in the direction of the youki surge. Before the small group could react Sesshomaru had already departed to investigate whatever was giving away that horrific aura. It was not, however, the youki that first caught his attention; the breeze had carried another information to him. Coming from the same direction as the youki, there was a singular, subtle spicy aroma, much stronger than he had ever smelled in the last weeks.

**SSSSS**

For the first time in a long, long while, Kitana was questioning her abilities. Usually she was very good at detecting the source and measuring the strength of different energy signatures. But now, she was wondering if somehow the atmosphere of this planet could be affecting her capacities so drastically. She would have sworn that the energy she felt coming from underwater was strong when she passed by the huge lake some days ago, but never that strong. If she had known, she would have passed her way, bowing reverently to the thing that inhabited the lake, maybe even honoring his adorned shrine standing by the lakeside by a human sacrifice; or two.

But she hadn't. Instead, she ignored the small inner voice that urged her to re-evaluate her decision and plunged in the water head-on, realizing her mistake only after feeling the full extent of the energy of the creature. If she could have peed in her pants, she would have.

At the bottom of the lake, a snake-like creature was coiled in many circumvolutions, its huge body covering most of the visible lake floor. Her eyes could see nothing of it though; the water was crystalline but light didn't reach even half way down the lake. However, the multiple sensitive heat captors embedded in her head told her about the gigantism of the thing. They signalled to her also that it was much too late to turn tail and leave, as an enormous serpentine head was quickly rising from the depths to meet her.

When her eyes finally distinguished the creature, she was awe-struck. The first thing she distinguished was the jaws, slightly opened upon huge sabre teeth and so large that they could easily swallow twenty full grown humans in one strike. Then there were bony horns that protruded from the side of its head and a long, flowing green mane covering the nape of its neck. To her surprise, she discovered that the beast had a human-like face embedded in its forehead in the form of a mask. Two pairs of red eyes, one small and intelligent, the other terrifying and feral, were fiercely looking at her, and two small arms, each sporting three lethally looking claws, stretched to reach for her as the creature lunged forward.

Shaking herself from her astonishment, Kitana barely managed to leap out if its way only to be faced with another attack from what seemed to be the tip of the monster's tail. Dodging again, she quickly morphed her clothes to enhance her swimming abilities; the ridges of her tail's vertebras elongated and webs of the translucent dark material appeared between her fingers and toes, enabling her to propel herself through the water much more efficiently. It was not only a necessity, but the only way for her to survive the vicious and unbelievably fast attacks from the demon.

She started to swim furiously away from the beast, using all the strength her tail and legs could give her, to no avail; every time she thought she would succeed to reach the shore, her way was blocked by a swipe from the tail, a coil of body or worse, a flash of white fangs and deep red throat. Pushing herself to the maximum of her speed, she barely managed not to be directly touched by the attacks, but the violence of the strikes was such that she was tossed and pushed aside by waves of water every time the huge body brushed against hers.

In her fight for survival, her body found its own rhythm and soon her mind appeared to become overly conscious of everything around her. The iridescence of sunlight upon the great beast's scales, the tiny bits of moss and algae growing in its luxurious mane, even the small aquatic creatures she recognized as tiny larvae of fish and crustaceans became as real to her as the demon. In this trance-like state, panic evaporated as the very reason of her presence in this lake came back clearly to her: she badly needed to feed, and somehow this monster was the closest meal in the vicinity. Turning to face her adversary, she braced herself for the impact against its terrible body. It was time for a change in strategy.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 13**

Sesshomaru reached the shore of the lake in no time, followed by Rin and Jaken who descended from the sky, safely seated on Ah-Un's back. He knew that his brother's group was following closely behind from all the ruckus they caused and he couldn't care less: he didn't need them anymore now that he knew precisely where the one he was looking for was. The remaining question was what was she up to, and from what he could tell she could as well be engaged in a fight as in a meal. He needed to assess the situation thoroughly, to understand what exactly was going on, before determining if he had to intervene or not. The hanyou would have to stay out of his path or learn the hard way that it was a bad idea to meddle with his business.

As he paused to examine the calm expanse of water before him, delicately sniffing the air to confirm what his nose told him moments ago, he absently overheard his half-brother as he arrived and addressed the strangely-clad miko, who was still perched atop his broad back.

"Hey, Kagome! What the fuck are we doing here! There is no youkai around; the place is as peaceful and deserted as can be!" he shouted.

Sango, Miroku and Kagome looked at each other, in despair over Inuyasha's hopeless lack of spiritual powers. The young dog hanyou had never been able to sense demonic auras, contrarily to them, and they always wondered how he managed to survive all these years in the dangerous wilderness without this ability. His nose had to be extremely sensitive, or he wouldn't have lasted past childhood.

Sesshomaru's immobile form tensed as the ominous youki came closer to them. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the monk, youkai-slayer and miko as they turned to face the lake when suddenly a thin black form shot out from the middle of the lake, heading toward the sky at high speed. The humans' eyesight was too poor to clearly see details, but even at that distance the taiyoukai could distinguish the fiercely glowing golden eyes of his former travelling companion. He saw her twist in mid-air as she turned her body in her ascension to face the water, as she was about to reach the peak of her momentum before she would plummet down toward the surface. He recognized the intense concentration on her face, the focus that betrayed that she was about to direct her energies at her concealed enemy. However, as trained to control his emotions as he might be, Sesshomaru's lips parted slightly when whatever pursued Kitana emerged out of the water, a huge mouth widely open upon what could only be described as an enormous ball of light, effectively stopping the attack she was preparing to unleash. His composure was that of a terribly bored person, but his opened lips sharply drew a breath that betrayed his growing anxiety.

**SSSSS**

As the demon once again stopped her retreat, his fangs opening on his terrible mouth, Kitana decided it was time to stop fleeing and start counter-attacking. Calling for the help of her living armor, she felt her claws elongating and sharpening as she prepared to strike at the scales of the monster. Dodging his attack with a fast dive, she plunged toward his throat and delivered a brutal blow with her claws, a blow that should have opened a gaping wound in the flesh of the thing; except that it did not.

A painful jolt travelled all along her forearm up to her shoulder and she would have screamed had she had air in what she used for lungs. She did not have time to process what just happened as another attack was sent her way, sending her into another dive for safety. Closely following the coils of the humongous body, she descended about midway between his head and tail before trying once again to sink her claws in the beast. And again and again, to no avail: the hide of the thing was so exceptionally solid that her arms were now in tremendous pain from the repetitive shocks against the unbreakable matter. She had to move once more, as the beast finally found her and came at her, letting go of a snarl that sounded more like an explosion underwater.

While taking great care never to place herself in the line of sight of the creature, she persistently tried to find an opening in his armoured skin. She hid beside a coil of the monster's body and tried another approach, sliding her claws in-between two scales, trying to reach the flesh. To her irritation, she only met with another row of scales, tiny and dense, that covered the space between each larger scale. This demon was protected by armor so strong that she couldn't conceive what enemy made it necessary. What kind of foe had claws or fangs so formidable they pushed such a monster to develop such an enduring hide? It was unimaginable.

She had to move once again when the beast tried to crush her between the coils of his huge body, but this time she did not manage to evade his sight and hide again. No matter how she plunged or turned, no matter if she hid beside or underneath his body, her enemy had learned of her tricks and was now countering them efficiently. She was desperate for a solution, and only one possibility appeared in her mind. If the beast did not give her enough time to use her powers, she would create that time.

Leading the thing deeply into the lake, snaking around and under its coils, she made sure that the head was following her. She did her best to make a knot of the serpentine beast, to entangle him within himself, before suddenly turning toward the surface and heading up with as much speed as she could obtain.

She summoned what was left of her meager powers and tried to focus while she swam. Then, as she pierced the surface and went flying into the air, she turned around to face the lake, channelling the energy of surrounding water and air into her, preparing to release it right into the flesh of her enemy. However, once again the cunning beast surprised her. He had freed himself of the knots easily, charging after her, and at the last moment, when she thought she would be victorious, when she was about to rip the heart and brain and flesh of the monster with a vicious energetic attack, she lost. For what came out of the lake was not the beast, but a huge ball of pure energy contained between his opened jaws, an energy so wicked that she shivered at the thought of touching it, let alone be engulfed into it.

Kitana barely had the time to redirect her focus before the attack was hurled toward her. As she dived back in the lake, a large unnatural wave rose between her enemy and her, replacing her as a target for the fatal attack. The huge energy ball vaporized the water instantly on contact, but was also dispersed at the same moment, creating a deep mist upon which the sunlight danced and drew ephemeral rainbows.

**SSSSS**

"No way!" shouted Inuyasha, recognizing the creature that was now plunging back underwater, following closely behind its prey. "I killed the darn thing months ago!"

"Ryukotsusei? How can it be?" said Sango, disbelief in her eyes.

"It has the jewel shard!" added a distraught Kagome.

Sesshomaru intervened, never letting his gaze falter from the now foggy surface of the lake.

"Don't be stupid, hanyou. Dragons do not come back to life. It is just another one."

"Feh, another one maybe but equipped with a jewel shard, Sesshomaru! So give me some space and I'll blast it. At least if I catch it by surprise we may have more luck than the darn girl and get out of here alive," Inuyasha said, unsheathing his Tetsusaiga and calling forth its powers.

**SSSSS**

Underwater, the battle continued. The dragon seemed to be completely enraged and he did his best to grab the annoying creature that dared to enter his domain. His movements were fast and precise, and Kitana was desperate. She found out that despite her weariness, she could somehow predict his moves by reading the vibrations in the water, in a way similar to how she saw the heat waves emitted by living beings. Every muscle that the giant dragon had to contract when coming in on her would make the water pulse, sending her a message and she could swiftly move out of the way. The attack he sent her at the surface would have been difficult, if not impossible to endure and she certainly did not want to see it coming at her again. While trying to decide what to do, she took utmost care to always stay close to the dragon's body, hoping that he would avoid blasting himself in an attempt to destroy her. To increase her chances, she never stayed long at the same place, whirling all around his body. However, this strategy had a major downfall, for it would never allow her to stay immobile long enough to concentrate and gather energy for any kind of offensive move. She wanted to spank herself for taking on such a powerful adversary right when she so desperately needed to feed. Even if she could take the time to focus, her attacks would be weakened by her lack of vital energy.

**SSSSS**

"Sit boy! Sit sit SIT!" screamed an irate Kagome. "Can't you see how the water is moving over there? Kitana is certainly not dead, and I won't allow you to sacrifice her, you are-"

"Miko."

Kagome was stopped in her ranting by the imperative tone of the taiyoukai. He rarely addressed her directly and even though she did not feared him as much as in their first meetings, he was certainly one to respect. She gulped before slowly turning toward him and met his stern amber eyes.

"Where is the shard?"

She blinked. This was usually Inuyasha's question, and it was weird to hear it coming from his loathed half-brother. However Kagome knew something had to be done, not only to retrieve the shard but also to help Kitana, and the brutal attacks of her hanyou companion were not suited to the situation. They needed a little more... delicacy.

"Well, I did not see it for very long-" the golden eyes of the dog youkai reduced to slits upon hearing these words "- but I am almost sure it is somewhere in-between the arms. Yes, that's it. I think that's where the heart is, or at least it was there on Ryukotsusei…"

Having heard what he needed to know, Sesshomaru took flight. He surveyed the waters below him with an intense concentration, trying to distinguish the two protagonists who were now furiously agitating the once calm waters of the great lake.

**SSSSS**

Kitana felt his presence in the air above from the depths of the lake. Sesshomaru. So he had come, she thought. Once again, he would be the witness of her humiliation.

The dragon felt her distraction as she looked to the surface, and his human mask smirked maliciously. She would have been easy to catch at that precise moment, but he enjoyed playing with his preys more than anything. Suddenly, he abandoned his pestering little toy and leapt forward at great speed, eager to destroy whatever was more important to her than their fight.

Quickly understanding her enemy's move, she followed. Powerful strokes of her legs and tail propelled her toward the surface, in a race against death itself.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru felt the attack coming straight at him. How stupid could this dragon be if he thought that he, a great dog demon, son of the unrivalled dog general, would be harmed or worse, turn tail in face of such an evident and avoidable attack? As he prepared himself to cut through the offending beast with his Tokijin, the most unexpected thing happened. Instead of having the dragon jumping right at him, it was Kitana who blasted out of the lake toward him. The beast followed her closely though, but somehow she managed to push him away from them with the help of a strong, deep wave of water that she directed at his flank. As the dragon crashed back in the lake, roaring in frustration, Sesshomaru caught Kitana with his fur pelt and gathered her at his side.

Their eyes met, furious golden eyes clashing with exhausted black and yellow ones.

"There is a jewel shard near his heart. You won't survive if you-"

His words were cut short as the dragon retaliated by hurling the tip of his tail directly at them. Sesshomaru jumped back higher in the air, but while he did so he lost his contact with Kitana. As she fell back toward the lake, the terrible head of the dragon emerged under her and a huge clawed hand caught her body in a powerful grasp. A victorious snarl and a laugh left the mouths of the beast, accompanied by a terrible look of agony on Kitana's face. She was caught so tightly in the dragon's grip that her ribs snapped under the pressure; her claws and fangs could do nothing to free her, her useless tail was whipping at a stone-solid skin. Her rejoicing enemy dragged her underwater.

Sesshomaru didn't wait for an instant before reacting; his blood-enemy would not insult his family further by snatching what he considered his almost possession right from underneath his nose. He had important matters to discuss with her and she needed to be alive for that purpose. Unsheathing his Tokijin, he followed them into the lake at a great speed, and in an instant he was underwater. His vision blurred by the millions of tiny bubbles created when the huge body of the dragon re-entered the water, he was caught off guard by a powerful blow from the monster and was sent forcefully away from his enemy and his comrade. Angered by the audacity of the beast who thought that he could get rid of a dog demon that easily, he strongly pushed against the waters, combining his youki cloud with all the strength he had in his tights, determined to make the creature pay. However, he was not a marine creature at all and even if he could hold his breath for a long time, he soon realized that his armor, swords and pelt only hindered his movements.

**SSSSS**

The dragon was having a very good time. Granted he was at first irritated by the presence of an enemy in his very own lake, but finally it became an occasion to test the strength that this shard was supposed to give him. According to the demon who approached him carefully a week ago, perched on a large feather and hiding her face behind a fan of some sort, he should be the strongest creature of all times with this tiny shard and yes, he felt powerful. Now, with the unexpected but welcomed arrival of the dog demon, he could finally kill two birds with one stone. The honor of his family, lost when his cousin was defeated by a dog not only once but twice, would be regained and all would see how strong he really was right now. The great beast adjusted his grip on the black creature in his hand and gave some time to the dog demon to realize just how stupid it was to enter an enemy's territory unprepared, and then he struck.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru clearly saw the huge head coming at him and braced himself, his Tokijin emitting waves of its malevolent youki, ready to blast the offending creature in tiny pieces. However, once again things did not go as planned. The water slowed his movements so much that when the attack came at him, his sword only slipped on the scales of the muzzle and he lost his grip over his weapon that sank into the deep lake. Deprived of his weapon of choice, immersed in a hostile environment that rendered his usual poisonous attacks useless, and faced with a powerful enemy who was turning around to strike at him once again, he took the only decision that was available to him at the moment.

His released youki flared around him in an improbable underwater inferno and a vivid crimson invaded his golden eyes under its influence. Sesshomaru could feel all of his teeth elongating, his molars turning into a row of sharp fangs, the corners of his mouth extending to reach his ears and his fur pelt merging with the fur that now adorned his whole body. The enormous white dog that he became, although crippled with the loss of a foreleg, pushed against the water with his hind legs and shot right at the dragon, viciously grabbing the short arm that kept Kitana captive between his jaws and shaking it in a very canine way.

**SSSSS**

The dragon let out a scream of pain that travelled through the water and echoed to the furthest corners of the huge lake. The attack had been totally unexpected and in his surprise he relinquished his hold over his capture to redirect his attention to the youkai that was now challenging him. What begun as a playful bashing of insignificant insects was becoming much more serious now, as the details of the well-known story of how his cousin was destroyed by a similar dog demon came to his mind. However, that particular dog demon that was focused on ripping the dragon's arm from his body in a curious imitation of his own handicap was now immersed in the dragon's favorite playground, and he would soon be a much drowned dog. Smirking, the dragon swiftly coiled himself around the muscular body of the dog, ignoring the sting of his fangs upon his arm. The cur would have no strength left in him to bite in a few moments. A cruel smirk came to his humanoid figure as his scaled face liked its lips in anticipation.

**SSSSS**

Kitana shook herself out of her confusion as she fell toward the bottom of the lake, freed from the deadly grasp of her foe. She couldn't believe what she saw, and she kept replaying the transformation in her mind until it became real. She clearly saw Sesshomaru change form, right before her very eyes, and if she was right he was now battling against the beast in the form of a great white furry animal. An animal that did not look aquatic in the slightest, but didn't seem to care about that detail at all. This world would never cease to amaze her.

With her broken ribs and deeply bruised and torn muscles, Kitana was not much of an opponent, but when she saw above her the mortal coils of the dragon tighten around Sesshomaru's struggling form, she took a decision. It would have to work, or they both would be in a lot of trouble. She shot after them, taking advantage of the distraction of the snake-like beast to go for his head.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was doing his best not to allow too much air to leave his lungs but the pressure he was under was immense. His enemy was strong, the power of the jewel shard added to his natural abilities, and fighting underwater was clearly not to his advantage. In his rage he tried to claw and bite at the folds of the beast, to no avail. In a faraway corner of his mind, his admiration for his father grew a little; knowing the dog general succeeded to plung one of his claw in the hide of a similar demon fuelled his desire to fight back, but he had to be realistic. He was not his father. For him, the only way out of this trap would be to return to his smaller humanoid form, but his fury and rage were so great that his youki couldn't be refrained and called back at the moment. All he could do was struggle while his enemy rejoiced in his helpless state, his double set of eyes connected with the taiyoukai's.

Black stars started to cloud his vision when he caught sight of Kitana, who was swimming furiously toward the head. As he was about to loose consciousness, he saw her plunging toward the immense red eye on the left side of the dragon's head, terrible claws ready to strike; a smile almost graced his furry, canine lips when the targeted eye exploded in a burst of scarlet liquid. As the immense power that kept him captive withdrew, Sesshomaru transformed back in his humanoid form and saw the dragon sinking to the bottom of the lake, trashing madly in his pain. His lungs were screaming for air and as much as he wanted to give in to their plea, he knew he would never reach the surface in time.

**SSSSS**

Once again, Kitana pushed her body to move, fighting against the bursts of pain that the contraction of each and every muscle of her body brought to her. She swam to her unexpected helper, who was now in a state not much better than her own, and quickly assessed his condition. She saw his golden eyes loose their sharpness and start to rotate inward; he was clearly loosing consciousness out of lack of oxygen. Without thinking, she quickly extracted the so-needed oxygen from her last breath of water, and putting her mouth in contact with his, she breathed the air into him.

Sesshomaru's eyes blasted open as the oxygen reached his brain. Kitana was there, by his side, embracing him tightly and kissing him. Not a kiss, he corrected himself. She was helping him to breathe. And he was suddenly grateful for that, despite his previous anger at her reckless behavior.

She wasted no time. As soon as Sesshomaru's eyes opened, she brought him closer to her and was about to swim toward the surface when he extended his arm, pointing at the pitch black bottom of the lake that had swallowed the dragon. Following his gesture, her eyes caught a slight glimmer of light reflected on the blade of the Tokijin; the sword had ended its descent upon the edge of a jagged rock, halfway between the surface and the bottom of the lake. At the same time, she also detected the heat emitted by the beast underneath them, who was far from dead. The dragon was completely enraged and soon he would forget his pain and come for revenge. She brought her attention back to Sesshomaru and shook her head from side to side, refusing to endanger them any further for the retrieval of a mere sword. Securing her hold onto the dog demon's hurtful body, she once again forced her battered self to move despite her injuries, and the smooth, fluid movements of her hips, legs and tail soon propelled them both toward the surface. They reached the so-needed air in the middle of the lake and Sesshomaru tried to speak. She did not let him.

"I know what to do, Angelus. Now go-"

She did not have time to finish her sentence as a huge energy blast from the dragon was hurled directly at them from the depths. The taiyoukai grabbed her by the waist and summoned all his remaining energies to send them upward on his cloud of youki. He felt the immense power of the beast brush against his own demonic aura, but they were unscathed. However, the head itself followed the blast out of the water, and the jaws where closing in on them at a great speed.

"It's okay. Let go of me." Kitana firmly pushed Sesshomaru away from her, freeing herself and turning as she fell toward the dragon. In a delighted hiss, he closed his jaws upon her lithe form and let his body fall back in his element.

Stunned, the taiyoukai looked impassively at the lake below him. No emotion could be seen on his pale face, but he was in turmoil inside. Was he assisting to the last attempt of Kitana to leave this world? An attempt that would very likely be successful? He knew this could happen when he let her run away from him after his humiliation on the riverbed, he knew she had no reasons to fight to stay alive. He knew, but he never wanted to believe it.

Then anger overcame this realization, anger directed once again at the foreign creature. How dare she ignore his heroic efforts to save her, how dare she brush all that with the back of her hand and plunge right into death, with no regards for the immense honor she had been granted when he fought for her survival? Never before had he gone to such extreme ways to help someone. His primal, selfish motivations for helping her did not matter. Days before he took the decision that he needed her alive and at his side, for only she could remove these abominable images from his head, and he would let no one disregard one of his decisions.

Just as he was about to plunge back underwater to retrieve the offending female and give her the punishment she deserved for belittling him, a huge shadow came at high speed toward the surface of the lake. He just had the time to move out of the way when the dragon shot out of the water, screaming in pain. His short arms were clawing at his chest and his smell, once similar to leather covered with fish scent, was intermingled with the rich, coppery aromas of blood. Just as Sesshomaru started wondering where this scent was coming from, the great beast vomited a large quantity of the crimson liquid, vividly tinting the waters around him. He then fell back in the lake and started to swim wildly, directly toward the shore where Rin and Inuyasha's group were standing.

Sesshomaru moved forward faster that the eye could see and distanced the dragon. Just as he reached the beach, making sure that Ah-Un brought Rin away from there, the beast was there. Towering above them, his tortured features frozen in a mask of agony, the dragon let out a last roar and fell forward, sending a panicked monk, miko, hanyou and youkai slayer flying across the beach.

Sesshomaru did not falter as the great beast fell almost right at his feet, as he clearly heard the last beat from its huge heart moments before. He was in pain, something that he hadn't felt in many months, and he would certainly not waste his energies at moving recklessly when he was in no true danger.

Giving no attention at all to the head of the dragon, he walked unfazed toward the upper chest of the beast that lied across the sandy beach. He could hear strange sounds coming from there, and as he came closer he saw that the ribcage over the heart was moving, as if something was pushing against it from the inside. Cocking his head to the side, he looked curiously as finally the bones and skin cracked and burst open, giving way to a very bloody, tired and hurt Kitana.

Catching her breath while lying on her back, her feet pointed toward the body of her slain enemy, she tilted her head backward to face Sesshomaru's dripping wet, immobile form, standing above her.

"I… don't want to… hear a single… word about… being born again…" she whispered as she panted for air, exhausted. A small smirk reached the taiyoukai lips as he watched his companion slowly lick her lips, and then bring a hand to her mouth, eagerly cleaning it from the blood that covered every finger and knuckle. Her other hand fell open on the sand, revealing the presence of a tainted jewel shard.

**SSSSS**

Inuyasha and his friends couldn't believe their eyes: Sesshomaru, the very same Sesshomaru who cared for no one but himself, was clearly trying to help Kitana in her fight against the giant dragon. They watched speechlessly as he plunged in the water, following after the beast had captured her.

"What the fuck is he doing?"

"Inuyasha, mind your language. There are kids here."

Kagome didn't want to express her anguish any further with the young Rin amongst them; after all, adults were supposed to be the strong ones around children so the little ones would always have someone to rely on in stressful events. It was hard, however, as her concern for Kitana was growing exponentially as her time spent underwater increased; and now that the taiyoukai had followed underneath the surface, she was also having thoughts about how to announce to a young girl that her beloved Lord Sesshomaru had died. What would happen to the child in that case, she wondered.

A humming sound then reached their ears and Kagome turned around, to see the little Rin seated sideway upon Ah-Un saddle, balancing her legs while she softly hummed a happy tune.

"Do not worry, Kagome-sama. Kitana-sama and Sesshomaru-sama are very strong, and they are great fighters. They will come back as soon as they are done with the dragon," said the young child with confidence.

"Rin-chan… You know Kitana? How?" asked a very curious Kagome.

"Oh yes I do. Rin knows Kitana very well. We all travel together, and she plays with Rin and with Lord Sesshomaru a lot! Since she arrived my Lord has a friend to play with, but she left us a little while ago. It is nice having her back with us, isn't it right master Jaken?"

Jaken was looking at the lake with panicked eyes, firmly grasping his staff of two heads in his small hands as he focused on the terrible fate that was to be his after his master's death.

"Argh, stupid human child! Don't you see that our great Lord Sesshomaru will be destroyed just because of this insufferable wench? Don't you see that I will be all alone by myself with him forever gone? Oh, cruel world, what will I do now that Lord Sesshomaru has faltered and perished?"

The bright laugh of the girl resonated into everyone's ears, very displaced in the dramatic events of the afternoon, but also soothing them and reducing somewhat their anxiety.

"Don't be silly, master Jaken. Lord Sesshomaru always returns."

Kagome's curiosity was fuelled even more by the child's words, but she did not have time to ask other questions. Her friend Sango gasped as before their eyes, Sesshomaru and Kitana had just reached the surface, before being once again attacked by the monstrous beast. This time though, things did not look good at all as while they tried to fly away from their attacker, Kitana fell and was swallowed by a very smug looking dragon.

"Stupid bastard! I told him only my backlash-wave could beat this thing, and of course he doesn't listen one bit! Serves him right," said Inuyasha, as he rested himself against his Tetsusaiga, planted in the sand. He eyed Kagome carefully though, he was just done cleaning himself from the grains of sand that covered his face and even entered his clothes. He certainly did not fancy having to do it all over again.

Kagome did not have time to react though, as the giant dragon emerged from the lake in tremendous pain, only to dash forward right to them. Miroku started undoing the prayer beads that sealed his wind tunnel, but he did not need it. As Sesshomaru reached the shore and Ah-Un took flight with his ward on his back, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and Shippo and Kirara did the same with Sango and Miroku, and they all jumped hastily inside the woods at the end of the beach. Everyone surprisingly managed to get out of the way of the dying beast as it crashed on the sand.

In the forest, Inuyasha carefully unfurled his arms that were protecting Kagome. Stunned, she turned her large blue eyes toward him and smiled when she realized that once again, he had saved her life. And as she heard the muffled, infuriated screams of the little Shippo who was caught between them, she smiled even wider. Her eyes caught sight of Miroku and Sango, with a small Kirara on her right shoulder, who were clumsily walking toward them in the dense woods. The friends regrouped and, after making sure that no one was hurt, they carefully approached the huge form of the once glorious beast, eager to find out the cause of its demise.

**SSSSS**

Kitana froze as she recognized the energies of the approaching party: Kagome, Miroku and their weird group. A feeling of dread came to her as she understood the implications and she wished she could simply disappear from the scene. Sesshomaru would demand explanations, and those guys would certainly not keep their mouths shot. Apparently, she had just jumped from the cauldron into the frying pan.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 14**

"Kitana-sama! Rin missed you so much!"

The young child ran eagerly toward the ebony creature, ahead of the mismatched group of travellers. Ah-Un had let her down when he felt no more danger and she wasted no time to reach the one she had so longed to see in the last weeks. However, as she came near her lying form, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You… are dirty. Rin think it is best if Rin does not hug you."

A crystalline laugh echoed in the late afternoon air as Kitana looked at the disgusted face of the child, then at herself. The fresh blood that covered her from head to toes was starting to clot, turning from a vivid brick red color to a duller rusty black. Bits and pieces of dragon flesh still adhered to her here and there, and the beige sand of the beach stuck to the drying blood. As weak as was her sense of smell, she could already pick up the first accents of decay coming from both the cadaver and herself and on her tongue lingered the metallic taste of blood. Yes, she was a mess.

"Well, little miss sunshine, you are right. I seriously need a bath."

Her eyes turned toward the head of the dragon, from where Kagome and Sango were carefully approaching, carrying Shippo and Kirara and followed by the monk and hanyou. Bracing herself for what was to come and trying to ignore pain that surely did not want to be ignored, she carefully sat up and waved a hand at them.

"Hey, long time no see! Fancy a steak, anyone? There is big game in that lake!"

Her cheerful tone completely froze them in their track. How could she be so happy coated in blood, with Sesshomaru standing impassively behind her, that was beyond their understanding. Kitana carefully rose, her whole body aching in ways she did not knew possible, and she turned toward the lake and Sesshomaru, who had now set his gaze on the village on the other side of the lake. Movement was visible beside the small huts, but the humans would need hours before reaching the opposite bank, if they ever gathered enough courage to come.

**SSSSS**

Kitana spent a lot of time cleaning herself from the remains of her battle. Kagome had handed her a bottle containing liquid soap, and she was thankful for that. The bottle itself disturbed her though, as it was clearly made in a material that was too complex to have been created here. Storing this discovery for later investigation, she focused on the people gathered on the beach around the dragon, trying not to let her own inner turmoil appear on her features.

Sesshomaru was waiting for his hairs and clothes to finish drying, and amazingly it was well underway. He had seated himself at the base of a lone tree that was growing a good twenty feet away from the forest, on a small earthy ledge overlooking the sandy beach below him. The ledge encircled the beach completely, and further away merged with the beach and became the shore itself. He was almost out of view from the busy group of friends, but was close enough to hear everything and to watch over the little Rin. She was having fun with the fox child and as her belly started to rumble, he decided to let her take a meal with her new friend before moving on. Although he was sitting upright in an ever watchful position, he was sending clear vibrations of relief, tinged by bouts of pain. Strong waves of annoyance were washing over his other feelings though, and as much as she apprehended to be the source of this irritation, Kitana understood by Sesshomaru's subtle glances that it was Inuyasha's antics that were provoking most of his ire.

Noticing the silvery-white hairs of the boy, she frowned. How weird. She should have made the connection the first time she met with him, and yet she didn't. His face and hairs were so similar to Sesshomaru's, as was his slightly weaker energy signature. The two of them apparently knew each other very well, and were not in good terms, to state the obvious.

She reported her attention to the other members of the strange boy's group. Kagome was much more relaxed than what she remembered of her; although she was sometimes eyeing the taiyoukai warily she was not on her guards as much as on their first meeting. She jested with Inuyasha, sitting him once every few minutes when he reached for his Tetsusaiga. This guy really had a thick skull to endure all that without sustaining any brain damage, and the girl should realize how severe a punishment it was to be sent face down on the ground every now and then. As far as she could tell from the distance Kagome seemed to be "reasoning" Inuyasha about Sesshomaru's and Kitana's presence amongst them. The young warrior apparently considered both of them to be threats to his friends and would not let that be. The dog-eared boy finally seemed to understand her "arguments" and sat on the ground, pouting. The young girl then started to rummage in her yellow bag, setting aside some white and red bowls and a larger round bowl which she filled with water from clear, almost supple bottles. Some other oddities she would have to investigate.

Reporting her attention closer to her, Kitana found that the monk was not inactive either. For the first time since she met him, his thoughts seemed to be completely clear of any kind of erotic daydreams. He was concentrated on writing something on a small sheet of paper, which he then threw to the dragon's human mask. To her amazement, the paper emitted a bright light and the large body disappeared, exploding in tiny black sparkles that quickly vanished in the slowly setting sunlight. The water of the lake rushed where the cadaver lied a moment before in a thunderous sound, then it was all over, as if the dragon never existed. A sense of accomplishment came to her from the monk, quickly followed by the more familiar, less appropriate feelings as he returned to the side of the demon-slayer. Was it what he was trying to do to her when he threw these sticky paper sheets at her on the other night? She frowned, re-evaluating her opinion of the monk.

Her eyes turned toward Sango, who was busy making a campfire. The children were helping her by gathering small pieces of driftwood along the shore. She was nervous and unhappy, and every once in a while would turn her eyes toward the beach where Kitana bathed. The slayer would not accept her presence either, it seemed. Suddenly she turned around and her hand met with the monk's cheek with a resounding slapping sound. The said monk fell on his back with a happy look on his face, and managed to sit himself right beside the object of his desire. The demon slayer emitted waves of irritation so strong that even people not gifted with empathic abilities should be able to perceive them, Kitana thought. Really, they were a weird bunch of people, she said to herself while she emerged out of the water, letting her clothes adopt the more appropriate form of long flowing pants and top that she developed the first time she met with Sesshomaru.

"Kitana-san, come and eat with us! The ramen will be ready in moments, as soon as the water will boil!" shouted Kagome to the dark creature, as she was putting her large round device on the fire. Kitana waved at her, "I will Kagome, just give me a moment please!"

The girl nodded to her and returned her attention to the kettle that sat atop the bonfire.

Kitana gathered all the courage she could find and slowly approached Sesshomaru's side. Sitting along the tree trunk just beside him, they were now both looking at the lake, the noises from the campfire reaching them on their left side.

"I, erm…" started Kitana, keeping her voice low. "I want to apologize… for… the other day. And thank you… for today. You saved me."

"Cease your ramblings, woman," said Sesshomaru in an impervious, but hushed voice. "There is no apology to be made." His eyes were still fixed upon the horizon.

Very slightly reassured by the absence of any hostility coming from him, she breathed more easily.

"I… just want you to know that I regret showing you these visions. You did not deserve it."

Never looking at her, he answered her once again.

"No one deserves such visions. Yet, you had a point to make and you did it well. You cannot change what you are, you only need to accept your nature and live with it."

"Well…" she sighed deeply, feeling very uncomfortable. "It is not always easy."

The sound of small waves breaking on the shore reached her, as the wind increased in strength in the early evening. The night would be chilly.

"Life is not meant to be easy. But you can make it easier by gaining control over the part of you that you loathe. Over time you will learn to accept and appreciate what you are."

She relaxed against the bark of the tree, pondering his words. The taiyoukai was rarely giving any kind of philosophical advice, beside insults and scolding, and it struck her as strange. Then, the events that happened under the water came back to her mind in a flash and maybe, maybe she began to understand what he meant.

"Did you really…transform, back there? For a moment, I thought another demon had come after me, but I saw you change. How is it… possible?" she asked with a frown on her face.

He turned his intense golden gaze to her face and met her eyes. "This Sesshomaru is youkai; I thought it was clear now in your mind." In a softer tone he added, "Dog youkai."

She nodded slowly, beginning to truly understand the implications of being a youkai.

"Dog youkai" she whispered.

His nature was not much different from hers; bestiality was lurking underneath his pristine features as much as it was under her own black skin. He was hiding his true nature, just like her, but the thin varnish of civilization hid feral instincts that needed not much stimulation to surface. No wonder he seemed to know about controlling and accepting oneself.

Her attention was caught by a movement at her side. The young Rin was coming at them in a hurry, holding one of the bizarre containers in her tiny hands. She showed them what appeared to be noodles in a broth.

"Kitana-sama, Sesshomaru-sama! Kagome-san is making a very good food, and it does not look like human food at all. Rin is sure you would like it!"

"It sure looks good Rin! I'll be joining you soon. Enjoy your meal."

Smiling at Kitana, the young one returned to her place by the fire, trying her best to keep her cup from being stolen by the mischievous fox-child sitting at her side.

"You met my half- brother" said Sesshomaru. It was more an observation than a question though, and Kitana answered by returning her eyes to his.

"Brother, eh… That explains a lot of things."

Sesshomaru exuded a wave of disdain at her words. "Do not imply anything, woman. We only share my father's blood; the hanyou's mother being a human makes him nothing but an insignificant bother."

Half-brother. Half-human. Detested by his own sibling. It explained why the young boy wanted nothing but to shove his gigantic sword deep under her companion's skin.

"Hey, I meant that you have similar features, that's all. You can't deny it after all… But that's about it, for the rest you are totally different…"

His eyes glued to hers, he did not comment, not wanting to know if it was an insult or a compliment. He would not be caught in her efforts to sway the conversation in another direction. He was a master at interrogation, and he knew that sooner or later the pressure of silence would push her to speak. Maybe sooner than later, in fact.

"Well, yes, I met him and his friends some days ago. They were a little wary of me, at first, but at the end everything settled for the best, I guess…" she fidgeted, looking at her hands, hands that seemed so interesting right now.

Unexpectedly, she felt a little point of humor coming from Sesshomaru. Was he mocking her, or having fun at her discomfort? She waited to see what his reactions would be, but he didn't seem to be angry at all. It was very strange, sensing no anger at all coming from Sesshomaru, and she certainly did not know how to deal with it.

"This Sesshomaru thought that after all what we… shared, you wouldn't feel the need to hide your true self anymore in my company."

"What, what do you mean?" she stuttered, unsure of where he was going.

"The detailed circumstances of your encounter with my blood relative were related to me earlier."

An astonished silence followed his words, only broken moments later by a hushed "ohh…" from Kitana.

Sesshomaru knew that she was very embarrassed, for her usual brash character was now completely subdued, as if the sky had fallen down on her. Amused to see her so shy, he pushed the nail a little further.

"This Sesshomaru does not care about your… affairs." Turning to look him in the eyes, she blinked a couple of times before answering.

"You… Really?" Confusion was evident in her features.

"Of course. After all, it was nothing but old news to me."

Her eyes widened slightly when his words sank in. Shivers ran through her spine and she did not know if she was chilled to the bone or burning in shame; it was horrible.

"You… knew?"

He simply nodded, once, fully appreciating the panic that was starting to appear on her face as she once again broke eye contact with him. It was clearly a good payback for forcing him to engage the dragon in battle, as well as for the dreaded visions she plagued him with, that still haunted his nights and days.

"The scent, I guess…"

His eyes opened minutely as he realized that he had not given a second thought as to how he would explain his knowledge of her sexual life, had she asked how he knew. He did not refute her conclusion; after all some truths were better kept secret. Especially when these truths brought humiliation upon himself. He kept his eyes fixed upon her, as she was trying to find her words to speak again.

"But… how… I mean, you said nothing?" she whispered, once again meeting his gaze.

"Why would I have? It was obvious that you wanted to keep this secret. I had more important matters to deal with than your… infatuations."

"It was NOT… erh… I mean," she said in a more hushed tone, "it was nothing of the sort. I am not like that."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her quizzically.

Kitana was at a loss. This was definitively not the way she would have liked to tell him about all this. In fact if she could have avoided the subject entirely for the rest of her life it would have been better. At least he was not having a row at her or rejecting her as she would have thought, but that made things even more awkward; it gave her the impression that he did not care not by acceptance, but because he was totally indifferent to her. After how he acted earlier, fighting against a powerful enemy with her when in the past all he ever did when she was in trouble was watch, unmoved, she couldn't believe that he wasn't caring about her. Worse, she couldn't let him believe that she was some kind of a whore, an easy girl who lay whoever was there at the right moment. At least for her, it was important to rectify the facts, even if he didn't care. Sighing, she tried to explain herself the best she could, hoping the discussion would be closed after that.

"I… You remember when I told you about my lover, the spy who helped me escape from my masters…"

He nodded minutely, his eyes regaining there bored look.

"Her name was Jess. She was a human woman."

Surprise came to her from Sesshomaru. His attention was fully on her, even though his posture was exuding indifference. Encouraged, she continued.

"We were together for years before I… lost her… I grieve for her every moment of my days since her death."

"Your mate was female?"

Eyeing him cautiously, trying to determine what was going on in his mind and failing miserably, she nodded.

"Yes, she was."

"Such a couple is… unheard of. Why a female?"

The conversation was going in a weird direction, and battle-weary as she was, Kitana did not know if she was willing to push the subject further.

"Well, love is love I guess; you love the person as a whole, not as a body. There are many of similar couples elsewhere. When reproduction doesn't matter anymore, true love can emerge."

His blank face was telling her that he did not understand the concept at all; before being assaulted with more embarrassing questions, she tried to cut short his inspiration by a fact he couldn't dispute.

"And there are no males at all in my species, only females. That might be a part of the explanation."

He cocked his head to the side, and waited a moment before nodding.

"Hn."

"I was tricked by the princess. She was controlled by Kagura, and she looked… terribly similar to Jess. In my misery I did not found the strength in me to push her away. When I realized what I had done, it was too late, and all I could do was trying to repair my mistake."

"Kagura? The monk said nothing about her involvement."

"Yes. She is the one who gave the jewel shard to the princess and she took control over her that way."

How could Kagura control what was happening in the hot spring while she was speaking with him? The wind witch never did anything by herself; all of her acts, be they loyal or treacherous toward Naraku, were staged by her master. The spider was behind all that, but how, and above all why, was the key to the problem.

Sesshomaru was not blind; Kitana had paid a good price for the dirty tricks she played on him. In a way he couldn't begin to understand, he was glad to have her back. As he saw her usual melancholy coming back upon her face, he somehow decided to put the mystery of Kagura's role in these events to rest for a while. If Kitana was to travel with him again, he would not endure the sadness she exuded all the time.

Embarrassed by his silence, Kitana returned her gaze to the lake and the horizon, remembering how silences were never awkward before she left his side. Silences were companionable, filled with the contemplation of the beauty of nature or the sleeping figure and calm breathing of the young Rin. Maybe, considering his tranquil acceptance of her deviant nature and his return at her side at the time she needed him the most, maybe she could hope for more shared silences with him by her side.

"You should not concern yourself with the opinions of others."

Turning toward him once again, she met his eyes.

"I like to know where I stand."

He held her gaze for several seconds before answering.

"Then all I can say is this. I had yet to meet one such as you; you are unique in many ways. Is it a good or bad thing, I can't tell; but as long as your idiosyncrasies do not get in my way, I see no justification to shun or condemn you. The only person here who needs to accept who you are is yourself, not I."

She closed her eyes, trying all she could to retain the tears that wanted to flow out. In her past life, being with Jess had never been an issue as same sex couples were not the weirdest thing around. Plus, she would kill anyone who dared to comment their relationship on the spot, and her reputation as a ruthless assassin preceded her wherever she went. Here on the other end, she had no reason to build herself the façade of a monster, not with the ones she wanted to be close with. She longed for friendship, life all alone wasn't worth living, and truth and trust were the foundation of true friendship. Slightly opening her eyes, she asked a last question to the taiyoukai.

"You searched for me. You came back to me. Why?"

Her soft murmur almost didn't reach his ears, but the words resonated deep within himself, where the exact same question had been pondered and scrutinized for days. Why, indeed. He had no answer that he wanted to say out loud.

"Hn. It is you who stopped fleeing from me. I was searching for Naraku; I smelled his stench in the vicinity."

She knew better than to believe these words. The taiyoukai was proud and aloof, and he wanted her to think of him that way, but she could sense his uneasiness when he pronounced those words. He was lying, or saying half-truths. When she emerged from the dragon on the beach, his relief had been immense. His anger too, but now it had subsided somehow.

Satisfied with their discussion, she finally decided to join the others around the campfire. The night had fallen and she would need heat to heal. As she started to rise, she felt Sesshomaru's hand grip her wrist. She turned back to him, puzzled; physical contact was not something normal coming from him. His eyes were intense, and his voice deep and heavy when he spoke.

"Remember that you cannot change your nature, no more than I can change mine. Never be ashamed of what you are, ever."

That being said, he let her go, mesmerized. Sesshomaru had been a brutal sparring partner, a companion that would push her over her grief and depressive state by provoking her ire, a judge who measured her flaws and abilities with a critical eye, but she never expected him to become a confident or to accept the dark parts of her that she herself was having difficulties dealing with. She bowed deeply to him.

"Thank you, Angelus," she whispered. Then she left his side, not noticing his raising brows, and joined the little Rin and Inuyasha's group, eager to quench her curiosity about the strange particularities of these people.

**SSSSS**

As the water slowly started to boil, everyone amongst Inuyasha's group was mentally speculating about the relationship between Kitana and Sesshomaru. The young Rin had made intriguing comments earlier, and children were known to voice the truth even when grown ups didn't want them to.

Everybody was now seated peacefully around the campfire, Inuyasha having finally decided it was better for his health to tolerate his older brother's presence. At least the young Rin was keeping Shippo occupied and he didn't have to put up with the runt playing pranks on him.

Kagome waved cheerfully at Kitana when she came back from cleaning herself in the lake, and they were surprised to see her decline Kagome's invitation and instead head for the taiyoukai. Surprise became shock when she boldly sat beside him, blocking him totally from their view. Even Jaken, pacing further away near Ah-Un, was mumbling something about disrespectful, arrogant females.

Their discussion was lost to everyone, but what was happening beside the tree was feeding their curiosity, especially when Sesshomaru grabbed Kitana by the arm and she bowed to him before coming at them. As she turned their way, everyone returned their attention to their empty bowls of ramen, which seemed very interesting at the moment.

"Well, guys, is there a seat left?" she said to them with a smile as she approached with the intention to sit on a rock between Miroku and Kagome.

The monk did not loose an instant and jumped to his feet, seizing one of Kitana's hands in his right one, showing her the way to the rock by his side. Before she could move though, his mouth opened on a hopeful question.

"Kitana-san, if you allow me," said Miroku, "I have been wondering… Would you bear me a child?"

Kitana flabbergasted face searched Miroku's emotions for any sign that could indicate humor, a possible joke, a prank or something like that. She found none, but the monk took her silence for hesitation and continued to press his case.

"This lowly monk needs a strong child, and you are obviously in need of a real male to show you what we can do better than any females. Allow me to volunteer myself for this delicate task of-"

The monk never finished his phrase. His hand had left Kitana's one and his face was slowly turning whiter and whiter, his mouth frozen in an "o" shape, his eyes starting to bulge out of his head. The silence in the camp became deep as molasses, as every eyes were trained upon the drama happening beside the campfire. Even Sesshomaru, who was still sitting with his back to the tree, became tense and highly attentive when he overheard the declaration of the monk. From the beach, a very low, deep and angry feminine voice reached his ears.

"I believe, monk, that I am in no need of such attentions, from you or from anyone else. I hope you will refrain from entertaining the thoughts of doing such… activities with me in the future or next time, I may not be so lenient and your very capacities to sire a child could be jeopardized."

That being said, she brought her slender tail back to her side, removing it from under the monk's robes. Miroku sucked a sharp intake of air and descended both his hands over his crotch, as the pressure subsided and was replaced by a low throbbing, and he fought very hard not to roll on the floor holding himself. He was already humiliated enough. A tiny voice came out of his lips.

"Of course, Kitana-san, of course… please forgive this lowly monk for his assumptions and his cursed hand…"

Sango was astonished. At last a woman who would not fall prey to the monk's womanizing tendencies! She would have to ask more precisions about what exactly had been going on under his robes, in case it would come in handy. The punishment seemed more effective than anything she could do with her boomerang or fists.

"Kitana-san, I think that Miroku went a little overboard, but it is true that we have been questioning ourselves," continued Sango. "We never imagined that you would get along with someone as Sesshomaru, after Kagome's explanations about this… homo… sexual thing?"

Kitana laughed heartily at her naïve question, before taking her place beside the now submissive monk. She could very well feel the genuineness of Sango's curiosity, which was well reflected in the other members of the party, but what cheered her up was the shock and irritation that she sensed coming from Sesshomaru. Surely he hadn't seen this one coming. Tonight he would learn that eavesdropping was not deemed a reprehensible behavior for nothing.

"No, Sango, I think there is a huge misunderstanding here. I… Sesshomaru and I travel together, that's about it. There is nothing else going on between Sesshomaru and myself, beside comradeship."

"Feh, anyway the prick is nothing more than a giant block of ice. You girls have too much imagination. Even if a bitch in heat was parading naked in front of him he wouldn't-"

"SIT Inuyasha! Don't you dare say such things in front of Shippo and Rin!"

The hanyou's face hit the sand, mere inches away from the bonfire. When the effect of the beads wore off, he sat again, but he stayed on the ground this time rather than on a log and he crossed his arms. He was sulking.

Kitana returned her attention to the members of the group who were not openly hostile to her presence, the monk and the priestess.

"I take it you have done well at the castle after my departure! May I ask what brought you here, along with Sesshomaru? If I understand correctly you lot are not in very good terms with him…"

Kagome chuckled, and the others held their breath at her audacity. Surely Sesshomaru would have heard her from where he was.

"We are not exactly in bad terms, either. After all, Naraku is our common enemy and that should make us allies, or at the very least we should be able not to fight against each other at each meeting," she answered, looking intently at Inuyasha every time the word "should" left her lips.

"Feh," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I certainly do not need any help fighting the bastard Naraku, especially not help from him! He is the one who came after me time and time again just to steal my Tetsusaiga! Was I making a fuss over his Tenseiga? No! So who is the one who keeps on making trouble, I ask you!" he ended boldly, bracing himself for the sit that was to come. But it did not come.

"We were investigating a rumor of a water-demon terrorizing a village, when we met with Sesshomaru and then sensed a huge demonic aura coming from the lake. Kagome thought she felt a Shikon shard also. That's why we are here now," answered Sango, warily eyeing the newcomer.

"I see. So I guess this dragon was the water-demon in question. Oh yeah, before I forget! Here Kagome, the dragon's shard is yours. I take it you have protected the other three I gave you?" said Kitana, handing her newly found shard to the girl.

"Of course, thank you Kitana! You too could be a very good ally against Naraku, you know? I was very impressed by your fight with the dragon. They are strong opponents, aren't they Inuyasha?"

The boy looked at the intruder, his chin raising a little higher up.

"It does not take someone very powerful to kill a dragon that way. Anyone stupid enough to be swallowed alive could have put up this stunt."

Inuyasha decided it was enough. He dusted himself and walked away from the group. Without a word, he jumped on the small edge surrounding their camp and sat there, cross-legged, his sword on his lap. He would have preferred sitting in a tree, but the forest was too far and the only tree available was already claimed by his half-brother.

Kagome rolled her eyes, murmuring a "guys, guys…" with a tint of humor in her voice. If the group was wondering about the meaning of Kitana's presence with Sesshomaru, she herself had some difficulties understanding the relationships between all of them. Kagome had a strong, overbearing control over the half-demon Inuyasha that sent shivers down her spines, yet she seemed to nurture loving feelings toward him; and the boy appeared to return these feelings tenfold, but at the same time was very confused about it. The monk seemed to be similarly infatuated with the demon-slayer, but then he proposed her moments ago, harassed Sango when she prepared the fire and was brutalized by her; which did not seem to matter much to him anyways. They were… complicated.

"Here, Kitana. Don't let these guys bother you. I am sure you are hungry. Try this! I brought it right from home! I'm sure you will like it, everyone does!"

Kitana had forgotten about the meal. Or rather she had hoped that they wouldn't wait for her and would be done eating by the time she showed up. The kids were finished eating and were playing at the shore, pursuing Jaken with small shells in their hands, for whatever reason only known to them. No one else had any food left, yet Kagome had been kind enough to save her a plate. How sweet of her.

Kitana thanked Kagome for the dish that was handed to her and was about to force herself to eat a little bit of the floating noodles when she remembered about the special material that made up the cup. Frowning, she took a good look at it and tested its texture. Suddenly she felt anxious feelings coming from about everyone in the camp and the bowl was snatched out of her hands by Sango.

"Sorry, Kitana-san. Kagome did a mistake, the ramen is cold, and it is too late to eat it. But I'm sure she has some cereal bars or dried meat that could satisfy you."

"Yes Kitana, you should eat a little. This fight was awesome and surely tiring for you" added Miroku.

She had to take advantage of the situation; she was already feeling sick enough with her body slowly healing from the fight, she really didn't need to add nausea to that state.

"Thank you guys, I appreciate your generosity, but I will decline. I know it is not visible, but I have bruises all over and some broken ribs; I don't think I could swallow, let alone digest food as I am." The trio looked at each other, unsure.

"Do not worry, Kitana-san, we will save your part for tomorrow morning. Your demonic healing will make you as good as new by sunrise, and then if I judge by our good friend Inuyasha you will be able to eat a cow!"

Kitana nodded after the monk's words, before wishing them a good night. Rin was already resting with the fox child near the fire; Jaken had managed to convince them it was time to sleep, and he had put a blanket on them when they drifted into sleep so the small girl would not be cold. Really, this little demon was caring a lot about the child, in his own grumpy way. Kitana however was not at ease sleeping in the open; she preferred the safety of the deep forest or a cave. She left the circle of light around the fire and jumped in Sesshomaru's tree, lying on her back on one of the low branches, right above the taiyoukai. Doing so reminded her that her words about broken bones were not all lies, and she gritted her teeth under the pain.

The conversations slowly died around the campfire as everyone fell asleep. Inuyasha's upright form was keeping watch from the ledge, his ire dissipated by the desire to protect his friends. Kitana was slowly dozing on her branch, her body screaming for the much needed sleep, when she felt Sesshomaru move under her. To her surprise, he jumped in the tree himself, and sat down at the base of a nearby branch. With eyes half opened, she turned her head to her right and saw that he was right beside her, his gaze looking down upon her.

Sesshomaru was unsure of what was to come next. He did not let his mask slip and his face was kept as bland as always, but he was hesitant about the actions he should take. He had come to her help against the dragon out of protective instinct, and that was new to him. Of course he was well aware that despite his denying it, he was protective of the little Rin, but seeing this feeling extending to another living creature was unsettling to say the least. Logically, he knew that it would be best if Kitana stayed with him and his group, at least for a while. She was an asset in combat, as well as a way to improve his own abilities and a good companion. She could probably be used as a magnet to lure Naraku out of hiding, too. Yet, she was also a very strong-willed creature and she seemed to have taken a liking to his half-brother and his group. Or, to be precise, to some members of Inuyasha's group. Inuyasha wasn't even aware of it but once again he was taking away one of his brother's possession from his grasp, and it was not something Sesshomaru was willing to accept. Was it just sibling rivalry or was it more than that, but he couldn't let Kitana leave him for… them. How exactly he would manage to do it without once again pushing her away from him was what occupied his mind all evening. And after hours of thoughts he was at a lost, having no clue about a possible solution.

"This Sesshomaru will be leaving after Rin's breakfast. Do you wish to travel with us again, or do you prefer the company of the hanyou and his friends?"

Kitana felt that Sesshomaru was disturbed by something, and confused. She could feel strong emotions coming from him, very deeply buried beneath everything else, and it unsettled her. What was happening with the taiyoukai, she didn't know, but it was not pleasant and it had to stop. She yawned, trying to cover her fangs with a hand, and turned toward him.

"Travel with them? Please, Sesshomaru, get real. They are funny and entertaining, but they are only a bunch of teenagers. An evening amongst them, listening to their childish bickering while trying not to castrate the perverted monk, is enough to make me crazy."

So she wanted to stay. Not knowing why, Sesshomaru was relieved to hear her words and he simply sat there, trying to decipher why her decision to travel with him was so comforting. He was totally lost in his thoughts when her voice broke the silence of the early night once again.

"I'm tired. If you don't have anything important to say, please let me sleep. This day has been difficult enough as it is; I missed my first meal in weeks, fought for my life, then for yours, I have broken bones and organs to mend and was interrogated over and over again; I think I deserve a good night of rest."

Sesshomaru stared at her back as she turned sideways on her branch. Irritation grew in him at her attitude and a familiar anger pointed its ugly nose in his mind.

"You did not sustain yourself?" he said in a low voice.

Sighing, she answered him, not bothering to turn to face him.

"No, I haven't. Not since you… interrupted."

"What about the dragon?"

Stroking her forehead and eyes with a hand, Kitana ended the discussion in her typical way.

"Did it look like I had time to feed on the dragon? Maybe between one of those blasts he aimed at me or being crushed by him? Oh, yeah, I forgot the seconds I spent inside his throat, desperately looking for the jewel shards. And then the whole three seconds he took to die when I ripped his heart open to take the shard that was there. What a fool I am, not taking these moments to feed! I'll remember next time a dragon swallows me… Good night, Sesshomaru."

With that, she tuned him out. Not that he was talkative, far from that, but his mere presence and self-assurance was usually enough to push her to talk. This night however she was just completely exhausted, surrounded by friends and allies. For once in a long while she would be able to sleep soundly without having to watch for her safety. Her mind quickly wandered away, and sleep embraced her.

Sesshomaru took some moments to calm down his anger. It was funny how short-term memory was… inaccurate, and easily molded to one's expectations. Kitana's supernatural ability at upsetting him and surviving to tell the tale had been very easy to forget and he could only blame himself for bringing her ire upon him, after all he was supposed to know about her temper. He looked intently at her turned back, hoping his gaze could melt her as easily as his dokkasu dissolved flesh, and then turned his attention to the moon and the stars. He had always known his demonic powers came mostly from there, from this moon that travelled across the night sky. That was one of the first lessons he learned in his young days, when his father taught him that the fullest the moon, the strongest his strength and instincts would be, making them hard to be controlled, and inversely. Settling his eyes upon Kitana's form once again, he wondered if she could be the embodiment of the moon's powers, sent to earth by a mischievous god or even his father's ghost to test his worthiness. If he could control her, learn to deal with her temper which was as fiery as his own was frozen, maybe he would be one step closer to reach his full potential. Or maybe not. Maybe she was just a disturbed girl born somewhere here on Earth with a mental illness that brought up delusions of grandeur. He closed his eyes and then jumped graciously on the ground. A small walk in the surrounding woods would be better for his peace of mind than all these child-like fantasies his mind was coming up with.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 15**

The next morning Kitana rose early; the sun was only starting to color the horizon in hues of orange and pink when she decided she had lingered long enough on her branch.

Her sleep had been agitated. For some reason, she had been plagued by dreams of a giant ogre with red eyes and huge teeth, and she spent the night fleeing from its grasp. As much as she needed her rest, she would not regain any strength if she only had nightmares.

Beside, something else had been on her mind: Sesshomaru's sword. The guy had saved her life and in exchange, he lost his favorite blade. She jumped out of her tree and started walking to the beach, intent on retrieving it.

Two pairs of golden eyes were trained on her back as she approached the water, and then plunged. Realization hit Sesshomaru few minutes later when she did not emerge; in a flash he was gone after her, swimming as fast as he could. His efforts yielded no results though, as she was far gone when he first reached the water, and all he could do was watch the light play on her black form as she swam back to him, then past him, carrying his sword.

By the time she came back everyone was awake and in a battle stance, thanks to Inuyasha. His Tetsusaiga shined under the morning light as he waited for the possessed sword to force Kitana to attack him, as it did with its creator Kaijinbo.

When Kitana finally set foot on the beach, she felt that something was utterly wrong. Every fighter on the beach had his eyes trained upon her as if she was a threat, and the tension and anxiety in the air was palpable. She turned around to see if a demon could have followed her, provoking the defensive attitude of the travellers, but all she saw was Sesshomaru as he came closer to her, his furs and the bottom of his pants floating in the water.

"My sword."

He extended his hand, palm up, never letting his eyes off of her. She sighed, before handing him the weapon.

"There it is. I didn't play with your toy, don't worry. Just bringing it back where it belongs."

When the blade changed hands, a collective sigh was heard and the nervousness of Kagome and her friends subsided, replaced by a wave of relief. Not quite understanding what happened, Kitana looked at them, then at face of the taiyoukai who was looking at her with an almost puzzled look on his face.

"By the way… Did you know that this sword is abnormal? It is full of energy; something like an ill intent came to me when I touched it. If I believed in ghosts, I would say it is possessed."

That being said, she turned her back to her companion and walked up to the beach.

Inuyasha and Sango still eyed her warily when she approached, although she didn't hold the evil blade anymore. Sango was, by nature, a suspicious woman when it came to accepting new friends in her circle. She had a strong family sense, born from fighting alongside her father and family against youkai for years, but the treacherous ways of most youkai had made her highly wary of them, especially when they seemed to win the trust of people easily; these were the most dangerous kind.

To Inuyasha's senses, something was off about Kitana and he couldn't bring himself to trust her, no matter how many times Kagome would sit him for his suspicious attitude. Every time she looked at him, he had to fight back shivers and a strong instinct to flee. He was not a coward; no one should have this effect on him, especially not a female, even more a female travelling with his half-brother. His sibling could probably smell his fear, and Inuyasha couldn't stand it.

"Well, we might has well start the fire and eat now that we are all awake!" cheered Kagome, her fear as she saw the demonic blade between the hands of the black creature all but gone. "Miroku, why don't you go with the kids to gather some wood and pick whatever is edible in there? The earlier we leave, the faster I'll be home for my test!"

"Of course Lady Kagome, of course! Come on Shippo, Rin; let's see who would bring the best food!"

The monk left them, with the children in tow. Shippo was a competitive little fox and even though Rin was good-natured and didn't see the point of competing against one she now considered a friend; she obliged just to make him happy.

Sango finally let her attention wander away from Kitana and turned toward the green-clad priestess.

"Kagome, do you still have your soap? The guys can take care of the fire and the food. It would be good to be clean for once, after those days of travelling. I think I can still smell the gore of that horrible massacre on me."

"Of course Sango! I grab my bag and I join you, I think there is a bay further up the beach that would be perfect!"

Kitana looked at the departing girls, happy not to feel the eyes of the slayer on her anymore. Being under such an intense scrutiny was definitely not pleasant, and yet there was still one of them unwilling to let his guard down.

"Hey, you two, cut the crap will ya? Tell me how the girl could touch your sword without being affected, bastard."

She straightened and gazed at Inuyasha, insulted to be talked about like she was not present.

"Hey, I spoke to you! Do you want me to get an answer out of you with my Tetsusaiga?"

Sesshomaru couldn't care less about the boy; he was also interested in how her companion had been able to bring back his Tokijin without side-effects. Truth be told, when he reached the beach he expected to have to knock her out of consciousness to take back his prized possession. He had been very surprised to see her handing him back the sword, rather than jumping at Inuyasha's throat to follow the orders of the sword's malevolent aura.

"This is none of your concern, hanyou."

He tried to turn toward Kitana but was stopped by the white fang of his father, then by the boy who wielded it. Slitting his eyes, he turned his head slightly to stare at his sibling.

"I won't repeat myself."

"Shut up you moron! I know something is not normal with her, I can feel it. Why are you carrying her around, you want to use her to steal my sword? She isn't affected by demonic swords, isn't she? Tell me what wicked plans you have in store for her, for they won't work on me!"

On these words, Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin and clashed it against Tetsusaiga, pushing as hard as the hanyou could push back, while staying perfectly calm and collected.

"I told you to stay out of this, Inuyasha."

"Like I would!"

Kitana was astonished. She had felt the pressure building in the air since the meeting of the two brothers the day before, but she had no idea they could come to a real physical fight. The dog-eared boy was certainly brash and violent, at least in his words, but seeing him as he attacked his sibling with no provocation was a shock.

Sesshomaru's behavior was also shocking to her. Having sparred against him numerous times, she did not recognize his style in this fight; or rather, she recognized it too well. For he used to act in a similar way with her at the very beginning of their partnership, when all he wanted was to humiliate her, to make her feel like she was not worthy of breathing the same air as him. He had changed his way quickly though and toward the end she believed that he respected her as an opponent, especially when she could surprise him with a move he was not prepared to face. But this… This was not at all like the Sesshomaru she had learned to appreciate. This was even worse than what she had gone through to earn his respect. He was literally destroying the boy's self-esteem.

Before her eyes, Sesshomaru was toying with his brother like he was nothing but a small bother, a kitten one could remove with the back of a hand. He used Inuyasha's anger against him, making sure that the powerful swipes of the young hanyou met with dirt or air, sidestepping at the last moment or worse, moving so fast no one could see him before he reappeared right behind his opponent. His fur pelt was put to use too, as he wrapped its end against the boy's ankles to try to make him stumble and fall.

Sesshomaru was not even fighting for real; he was pushing away a persistent insect. The taiyoukai was not angry, contrarily as when he fought against her; countless times she had provoked his ire and faced his wrath as the consequence, but it wasn't even the case here. He was bored by the behavior of his sibling, utterly bored, and he had other matters to attend to. Feeling his growing irritation at the persistence of the hanyou, Kitana realized that it was not a good omen. She had not been the victim of this trait of character, but she could very well see how this fight could end: Sesshomaru didn't endure boring or annoying beings that stood in his way. He simply destroyed them.

Although she did not particularly care about the fate of the young, bad-mouthed boy, Kitana felt she couldn't simply let him die; she had only started to make something similar to friends here, and she would for sure loose them all if he was to die under her eyes. The boy was a very strong warrior, with great stamina and a resistance to pain that she considered suicidal considering the number of open wounds he was sporting at the moment, but he was also very important to the heart of the priestess Kagome. She would not make Kagome suffer if she could help it.

Looking at the fierce attacks Inuyasha was unleashing upon his brother, Kitana was thinking fast about how she could intervene without seeing them both turn their wrath upon her. Inuyasha was intent at killing or wounding his sibling, and Sesshomaru wouldn't accept it if she was to save Inuyasha from him. Either way she was done for. Unless she could disarm Inuyasha, the fight would go on.

Suddenly, as Sesshomaru's fur was trimmed a little on the edge by a swipe from the massive white sword, she realized that she had known the solution all along: Kagome. Kagome would be able to stop Inuyasha without getting hurt in return, and Rin loved her too much for Sesshomaru to seriously harm her in retaliation. He would probably smirk at the humiliated hanyou before turning his back to him.

Frowning in concentration, Kitana scanned the area to locate the girl when she froze. Something was definitively not right. In two quick steps she was right between the clashing brothers, making Inuyasha stumble to avoid hurting her.

"What the fuck are you-"

"Where are the kids?" she interrupted, worry filling her eyes. Inuyasha's words died when he understood what she was talking about and Sesshomaru relaxed his fighting stance, his attention focused on anything but them; his nose was delicately sifting the aromas on the air.

"Have you forgotten, wench? They went with the monk to find some firewood and food while the girls are bathing in a cove nearby. They will be back soon, the food won't cook itself without their wood and they are very hungry!" he answered, trying to go round her to continue his "argument" with the taiyoukai.

Kitana surveyed the area once again, sensing further in the woods for the well known energy signature of Rin.

"No, they are not. Miroku, however…"

With that she stepped away from the siblings, reaching the east side of the beach where it became one with a small pier. Followed closely by Sesshomaru, she jumped on the pier that overlooked the cove where Kagome and Sango where finishing to clothe themselves and waved her hand at the water, her eyes glowing a deep golden.

A ball of water emerged from the lake and, following Kitana's movement, flew quickly between the trees that surrounded the little bay. At the same time, an outraged scream came out from the girls when they realized that both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha where into view, quickly followed by a "sit boy", a "thump" sound and another scream, coming this time from the woods. It happened very fast and before Kagome and Sango realized it, a very drenched and pitiful Miroku came out of the cover of the woods.

In her fury, Sango didn't know if she should throw her Hiraikotsu only at the monk or if she should include the dog brothers in her swipe. A moment before she decided, Sesshomaru's voice stopped her momentum.

"Monk. You were supposed to stay with the children."

Miroku didn't know what was the more mortifying, being soaked in water that didn't exist moments before, being caught at peeping on the girls or being addressed by the cold taiyoukai with a tone that allowed no excuse. Swallowing his pride and trying to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary, he answered while looking at his closed fist he held near his chin.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Shippo and the young Rin are under the watchful eyes of Jaken and Ah-Un, picking up some wood for the fire. I saw, erm, bigger logs around here that they couldn't carry anyway so I left them to come and… investigate… erm…"

"See? I told you. Feh, monk, you should learn to conceal yourself when you-"

Inuyasha never had the time to finish his phrase as he was knocked on the head by a solid bone boomerang and then, slammed on the ground be a well-placed "sit". Both irate women were now beside him and had to vent their anger one way or another… Sesshomaru and Kitana, however, did not pay attention to the antics of the young travellers. The dog youkai had already left the scene, following the scents of his retainer and dragon steed. Kitana was following closely, trying the best she could to locate the energies of the kids but failing miserably. Soon enough though, two other familiar presences appeared to her senses: Jaken, who was slowly sitting himself on the forest floor with an impressive bump beside his little hat, and Ah-Un, whose consciousness had yet to return. Around them, the leaves and foliage were burned but the trees themselves did not caught fire, the damage seemed to be very superficial.

Upon seeing his master and his companion, the little kappa could do nothing but burst in tears, crawling on the floor in a pitiful attempt at saving his life.

"Lord Sesshomaru, oh my Lord, oh my Lord, please punish this lowly servant of yours for his inaptitude at protecting your most precious ward from her kidnappers, oh please Sesshomaru-sama do as you must oh great Lord who-"

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Kagome arrived on the scene just as a black, bony appendage found its way around Jaken's neck and lifted him off the ground, effectively stopping his blabbering. Everyone but Sesshomaru was now scrutinizing the kappa and Kitana then relaxed her grip on the small creature just enough to allow him to inhale some air.

"What happened, Jaken? Explain!" she asked with a cold and fierce voice. It was only then that Sesshomaru returned his attention to his two companions.

"Her scent stops here. Rat demons were here recently though."

Inuyasha looked at his brother and then bent on all four, sniffing the ground intensely in the woods around them. Jaken was more nervous than ever, submitted to the intense and malevolent gaze of Kitana who never left his face. He shook his head and tried his best to recall what he saw without passing out from his fear of her reactions. While he spoke, Kagome kneeled beside the large Ah-Un, stroking his heads, helping him to come back to his senses. He was also sporting large hematomas right behind his muzzles at the back of his heads. Whatever demon did that, it was impressive for Ah-Un was a formidable opponent.

"We were attacked my Lord," Jaken said trying not to look at Kitana in the eyes. Sesshomaru was frightening, but much less than the creature who threatened his life at the moment. At least his Lord got some level of authority upon her that could maybe save the kappa's life if he was humble enough to beg for it. "Rin and the insolent fox child were abducted by some foul creatures who managed to evade your lowly servant's Staff of two heads. They subdued Ah-Un and I quickly; there must have been a lot of them to do that. Surely they came from the sky as I did not see them coming at all! Oh what a shame it is that they took your ward under my very nose, I don't know what to do to redeem myself oh my Lord!"

As Sango was about to climb on a transformed Kirara to survey the area from the sky, Inuyasha came back. "It's just as the prick said, their scents are gone. Not taken to the air or elsewhere, just gone. As if they vanished."

The drenched monk was in deep thoughts, and soon his serious and concentrated look could be found on the face of everyone. It was a great loss, but the worse was not the loss of the children, but the loss of their abilities to help them. Feeling powerless was not something they were used to at all.

A tiny scratching sound coming from the ground underneath their feet became audible, growing slowly in intensity. Ah-Un reacted by standing up quickly, shaking his heads and looking intently at the ground. The group surrounded the noisy area, swords, arrows, staff and claws at the ready. Kitana released Jaken who ran behind a tree, and then came back slowly, ashamed of his cowardliness when everyone else was getting ready to fight. He grabbed his Staff of two heads and joined the circle.

It did not take long for a small mound of earth to bulge from the middle of the circle, and then a strange looking creature emerged from it. Faster than anyone else, Sesshomaru grabbed the thing by its neck and pulled it out of the earth entirely, revealing the small, chubby body of a rat demon. This demon was of a lower cast; even if he wore a loincloth he was not humanoid at all. His body was covered in a dirty brown fur and he sported a long snout with whiskers, huge yellow incisors teeth and a scaly tail, but he was able to walk on his hind legs. And to talk.

"Don't, don't hurt me, please! I am a mere messenger, here to deliver the words of my Queen! Don't hurt me!" As the pressure on his neck only grew and he realized the fierce looks and sharp weapons of the beings that surrounded him, the disgusting little thing let go of his bladder. Sesshomaru quickly released him, and the rat fell down right in the smelly yellow puddle that pooled below him in which he immediately kneeled, putting his face close to the ground in a low bow toward Sesshomaru.

"What is the purpose of your presence here, rat?" asked Sesshomaru, looking down his nose at the pitiful looking rodent.

"Yes, yes, I will tell you, as I am a messenger! A lowly messenger sent to you by my Queen!" said the rat. The patience of everyone grew thinner, and as a hiss escaped Kitana's lips. Inuyasha tightened his grip on his transformed Tetsusaiga and sniffed the air, frowning.

"The rat smells like Naraku!"

"Are you sure, Inuyasha?" asked Sango. "He smells so much of urine and dirt…"

"I tell you Sango, this little shit met Naraku!" he said angrily, now pointing his sword right at the shivering rat. Everybody stiffened and looked at the rat with hardened eyes, even Kagome who easily showed pity and compassion for the weak. Not this time, apparently.

"Yes, yes, I have, I have seen the great Naraku-sama! I have met him! I am the servant of the Queen, and when he came to talk to her and to grant her the shards of power I was there, right there, yes I was!"

Another hiss was heard and this time Kitana snarled to the rat. The tension was immense, and the only thing that kept the small rat alive was that he was himself totally powerless, sent only to deliver a message, not to fight.

"Speak, rat! The great Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru-sama, has no patience for the likes of you!" shouted a very angry looking Jaken. Although Sesshomaru's features were calm and composed, rage boiled inside of him and as it was often the case, his retainer was the living example of whatever he was feeling inside. If what he thought was right, Naraku had once again plotted to abduct Rin to get to her master. The hanyou was really a cowardly and honorless creature and someday he would pay for his incessant mingling in his life.

"Yes, yes! I speak! Yes! My Queen wants other shards of power and she knows that your priestess has a lot of them! She will exchange your young ones for the shards. Give the shards to me and the young will be returned!"

Kitana saw red. She did not hold a personal grudge against Naraku, after all he never really caused her harm; the recent interventions of Kagura in her life were a small bother, and their purpose had yet to be discovered. Now, however, it was different. The monster was submitting the little Rin to a terrifying kidnapping by foul creatures and if he imagined that she would stay neutral after such an aggression, he was daydreaming.

"The children are not here anymore, they have been taken far from here. Tell us where they are, and the exchange will be made there. I want to see them before giving you anything."

The rat gulped nervously. It was not going as he hoped, but his Queen had told him this situation could arise.

"Yes, yes, I understand, yes of course. But the child are far now, you are right, it will take you a very long time to reach the place where they are held, too much time. They are already at our nest, many days of travel away for you. We rats travel much faster underground than you can up here, if you give the shards to me the child will be returned in no time. Yes, yes they will."

Kitana could see that Kagome and her group were about to accept the rat terms, their feelings were still angered but resigned at the same time. She looked at them hardly.

"Can't you see that Shippo and Rin will be killed as soon as you part with your shards, Kagome? If I had known you would give them up at the first difficulty I would have kept the ones I gathered. Be strong for the kids, if you want to see them again." She reported her attention to the rat. "We will follow you then, whatever time it takes we will go to your Queen and take the children back in person. Don't worry, you will get your shards; as soon as we get Shippo and Rin."

The tone of the pitch black creature let no place for arguing. The rat saw how wise his Queen really was when she sent him on this errand, and he remembered when she told him of what to do if everything went wrong. He composed a resigned face and sigh, bowing to the black creature.

"Yes, yes. Yes, we will go, yes. We will go to the nest. I will go tell my Queen of your decision so she keeps the child alive long enough for you to reach the nest, and I will come back to be your guide. Yes, yes."

"No".

It was Sesshomaru. Inuyasha and his friends were tired of these negotiations Kitana and the taiyoukai were conducing with the little rat, all they wanted was get Shippo back; however they couldn't help but listen to what was happening before them. The rat gulped again. His Queen gave him no other plan to replace this one, and he was at a lost.

"No?"

"No. You will stay with us and lead us to your nest. We will be departing now."

The rat's brain was working faster and harder than ever, trying to figure out what to do with these informations. This dirty little creature was a cunning one, clever enough to know when to appear dumb and scared. He would be considered a traitor and punished by death if he brought these powerful warriors at his nest without warning his Queen beforehand. Finally, a plan formed in his head that would give his Queen enough time to prepare her army for the fight against these guys. The end results would be the same: the shards would change hands in favor of his Queen. With a new resolve, he turned toward Sesshomaru.

"Yes, yes, you will depart right now. How wise are you, how wise. But I need to go to my Queen as fast as possible or she will think I failed; the boy and the girl will then be eaten as prey. I will go save them and then come back to lead you just as you ask."

"Hn. Tell us the direction of this hives, rat. We will meet halfway when you return."

The rat, although he was still kneeling, was jubilant; everything would work out just to his Queen convenience.

"Oh great Lord, you are so smart! Yes, you will depart right now, so you will be closer, much closer, when I come back to you, yes. Go to the North-East, North-East, I will catch up with you later. Yes!"

That being said, he jumped back into the hole he came from and vanished from the place. Kitana quickly kneeled down, placing her hands on the ground and closing her eyes. Sesshomaru was about to turn tail and leave toward the direction given by the rat when he distinguished a faint glimmer of golden light coming from her half-closed eyes.

Sango and Miroku wasted no time; they jumped on Kirara's back as soon as the rat departed. Kagome climbed upon Inuyasha's broad back, and the five of them left to the North-East the fastest they could. Sesshomaru was getting impatient to do the same, when Kitana spoke to him without moving from her position, her head slowly waving from right to left.

"The rat lied. He is going straight North, not to the North-East. And he is not that fast. He somehow moves right through the earth, faster than we can travel even by flight, but not by much."

She planted her hands deeper in the soil, and waited for a moment before continuing. "I can also feel Rin and Shippo's energies through the earth. They are still moving, far from here but they are certainly not immobile."

"Where?" he asked. Kitana concentrated for a couple of minutes before opening her eyes and raising, facing Sesshomaru.

"We can go north for a while, but I will need to reassess the direction as they are not moving in a straight line at all."

Sesshomaru nodded once and lifted off the ground on his cloud. Jaken held onto his furs tightly and Kitana followed suit, sitting upon Ah-Un saddle. They all took to the air and in no time they were distancing the other group.

**SSSSS**

It was Sango who first noticed that Sesshomaru and Kitana were straying from the north-eastern direction. After pointing them to her companions, they all decided to follow the taiyoukai to Inuyasha's disappointment, for he was not pleased at all by their choice. He had had enough of Sesshomaru for the rest of his life, yet the prick never seem to make any strategic mistakes so with a "Feh!" he followed his retreating form, and then his scent as he was moving much faster than them.

The sun was high in the sky when Kitana directed her steed to a small clearing in the deep forest that they were flying over. Sesshomaru followed her, making sure that she would not land right amongst some bellicose demons of human soldiers, but his nose told him that she had chosen wisely. The place was devoid of any signs of enemies, except if one counted small songbirds as foes.

As he silently touched ground beside her, Sesshomaru saw that she was already crouched on all four, her hands buried into the soil. What she told him weeks earlier about how she manipulated the energies of nature came back to his mind, and he admitted to himself that this ability was useful, finally. He observed her calm stance and noticed small details that betrayed her intense concentration. The muscles of her tights, calves and arms, even masked by her clothes, were tensed and hard. The tip of her long skeletal tail was swaying from side to side, much like a cat stalking a prey and she was frowning, her brows delicately outlined by her simple tiara and by the golden light that escaped between her half closed eyelids. After a moment of serene contemplation, his impatience grew and took the best of him. He started to think about how Naraku was once again trying to manipulate him and then he listed the multiple ways in which he could make the hanyou pay for his troublesome middling. Finally, his nose brought him back from his reflections when the unpleasant scent of his half-brother assaulted it. Really, even after his bath of the day before the hanyou still reeked. His attention once again shifted to Kitana who emerged from her trance.

She rose slowly, painfully stretching her muscles which had not yet recovered from yesterday's battle. Some broken ribs would need even more time to heal correctly, especially considering how underfed she was, but there was no way she would confess that to Sesshomaru, not at a time like this. She looked pensively to the North, and then sighed.

"They changed direction. Both the rat and Rin are still on the move, but they are heading west this time. By travelling North-West we should gain some ground but…"

"You will need to verify the directions later."

"Yes."

"Hn."

On these wise words Sesshomaru once again took flight, to the North-West this time. Jaken was holding on well, and Ah-Un expertly followed them with Kitana on his back, fighting against sleep.

On the southern horizon, the silhouettes of their followers were visible.

"Shit! Won't the bastard ever stop for a break? I thought that was it, but no! Here he goes again, heading further away from where the rat told us to go! Still happy with your decision to follow him, guys?" bitterly asked Inuyasha when his eyes finally distinguished the form of his brother moving, once again, away from his reach.

"Inuyasha, even though you don't believe it, I am sure Sesshomaru cares for Rin. And Kitana was absolutely devastated by her kidnapping; she will do everything to get her back. Rin is somewhere in the direction they are heading, Shippo is with her, so we keep following them!" concluded a worried, and weary, Kagome. Inuyasha was feeling really bad for he never detected the presence of the filthy rat and as it was his job to care for them all, the loss of Shippo was entirely his responsibility. For once that the humans didn't complain about the pace he set, Inuyasha stopped the nasty remarks he was about to make about the inherent ability to care of his half-brother and bounced forward. He was determined to be the one who would save Shippo.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Cha****pter 16**

The sun was setting on the horizon, outlining Sesshomaru, Ah-Un and Kitana's forms against the red sky. They had stopped every two hours since their departure so that Kitana could track down the kids. Their abductors were still on the move, changing directions very often as if they knew they were under pursuit. Because of that, they kept increasing the distance between them and their pursuers, who were always too late at changing direction despite Kitana's repeated attempts at tracking them. A cold fury, promise of a terrible fate for the rats who dared take what was his, radiated from the taiyoukai. A similar feeling appeared on Kitana's face, but as the day advanced, weariness slowly replaced the anger. She was having more difficulties to detect the kids' energies and needed more time to do so. The golden hue of her eyes while she searched for them was gradually dimming. Now, as she was sited upon Ah-Un large saddle, she fought against the tiredness and hunger that were slowly replacing her conscious thoughts.

Sesshomaru was keeping a close eye on his companion. He noticed how hard it had become for her to find the kids, and it angered him to no end. How many times he would have to tell her that she had to be strong to survive in face of all the dangers that waited for her here on this land, he wondered. However, as they were advancing in the now desolated landscapes of the northern mountainous plateau, he started to understand where the rats were heading and a small, evil smirk appeared on his lips. He looked at Ah-Un, who now carried a very asleep burden, and started descending toward a valley where a small group of desiccated trees tried their best to survive in this desert, alongside a small river of brown, muddy water that descended from the mountain.

Kitana came to her senses when Ah-Un landed smoothly on the ground. She opened her eyes to find Sesshomaru looking at her intently from the center of a circle of decaying trees.

"Sorry, I think I fell asleep" she said while getting off of her mount. "I will see where they are heading so we can continue."

Sesshomaru said nothing, his eyes never faltering from her form. She knelt on the ground, planting her hands in the earth, and focused. It took a long time before her eyes changed color, and the light was much paler than usually. She was very concentrated and all her muscles seemed to accompany her mind in this exercise as they were tense and hard. While she was searching for Shippo and Rin, Jaken gathered wood for a campfire. Three words spoken from his master when they landed had set him frantically on motion and when Kitana opened her eyes, the fire had been burning hot and bright for a moment already. A calm and stern Sesshomaru sat beside it, studying her impassively. When she understood the meaning of the fire and the fact that Ah-Un was unsaddled and asleep already, the ebony creature found her anger flaring, renewed.

"Why? Why did you make a fire? I've located them, right to the North-East, they stopped moving. If we go now we could be there way before sunrise!" she exclaimed with more vigor than her body seemed to harbor.

"Sit."

This small word was said in such an implacable tone that she obeyed, leaving her kneeling position to sit beside him, aghast. The confusion upon her face was evident.

"You will sleep. We will leave at daybreak. Until then, you need your rest."

The calm and confident demeanor of the taiyoukai left her speechless. Where was the intense wrath that she felt from him, and shared, only a few hours ago? How could he sit idly there with a look of content on his face when Rin was yet to be retrieved and saved from her captors?

Sesshomaru was glad to see that she was calming down, but he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't rest until she understood exactly what was going on.

"This Sesshomaru knows where his ward is being kept. At sunrise, we will go to her. If you want to join me, then sleep. You need to be ready for the task ahead."

Kitana only stayed there, flabbergasted. She closed her eyes and counted up to ten, determined not to lash at him out of temper. After all, they were the only hope for the child under his care and she would not jeopardize that by picking a quarrel with Sesshomaru. When she felt calm come to her, she looked up at him with an intense anger in her eyes.

"How could you expect me to simply lay here and sleep while Rin is suffering who knows what atrocities at the hands of those creatures? We have to find her, and we have to do it now! Don't you understand? Don't you care for her?"

"You arrogant fool! Who do you think you are, to imply that the great Lord Sesshomaru would stoop so low as to care for a puny human insect! Of course he doesn't care you dim-witted creature! He is merely on a chase to punish the one who thought he could control His Greatness with threats and menaces!"

Jaken's burst of temper was stopped by a cold, hard look from the taiyoukai. The diminutive kappa gulped audibly, before crouching down behind his staff, bowing his head in terror. However, the wrath of his master did not fell upon him, but was rather redirected upon Kitana. As golden eyes reduced to slits met with black and yellow ones in a contest of wills, the darkest eyes soon flickered and met the ground.

"Sorry. I know you care. I just… need to understand your strategy. What is it you are planning, Sesshomaru-sama?"

His eyes widened a little when he heard her words, his brows rising underneath his bangs. Did he hear it well? He would have sworn that she apologized and used a mark of respect toward him. Shrugging, he dismissed the idea as a result of her extreme tiredness; she was probably delirious from the expense of her energy. Obviously he couldn't force her to sleep, but maybe he could lure her into it by speaking with her. He often witnessed Rin falling asleep when she was listening at Jaken's explanations on a subject or another. If Jaken was able to have this effect on an energetic child, then he could probably do the same to a very tired woman. Or he hoped.

"You will rest, so that tomorrow you will be strong enough to pinpoint Rin's exact location. I remember there was a small rat nest further away in the mountains, in a volcanic area. We are heading in this direction. Rats smell bad, but it is nothing compared to the stench of their nests. My sense of smell will be incapacitated by this toxic air and your tracking ability will come in handy. However, in your present state, you are too weak to be of any help. If it takes you too much time to locate her tomorrow, we will face… complications."

To his disappointment, his words appeared to have shaken Kitana out of her slumber for good. Maybe it was not the words, but rather something in Jaken's tone of speech that triggered the sleepy state in the child. All the taiyoukai succeeded to do was to add a deep worried frown on her face now, and he started to consider knocking her out of consciousness so she would get the rest she needed. He was surprised when, instead of continuing the conversation, she simply curled her body up closer to the fire, bringing her skeletal tail around her knees and arms, and closed her eyes.

"We better find her intact, Sesshomaru."

"Indeed we will." She did not answer.

As she slowly let sleep overtake her, doubts were infesting her thoughts. Earth manipulation had always been her weakness, and it ate at her meager energies like an oni eagerly feasting on infants. Earth was an element with which the energy flow of the planet was very tightly woven, much more than with water, air or fire. Those three elements were the same everywhere in the universe, but the minerals that composed the earth varied infinitely from a place to another, giving this element a unique energy that was completely different in amplitude and frequency from a world to another. She would have to be in contact with the energy of that particular planet much longer before attaining some level of fluency in earth manipulations. Furthermore, earth was a passive element that was inherently hard to manipulate, as its purpose was to support life and nourish it, not to kill. Earthquakes killed, but they were hard to produce and even harder to control, so Kitana never really focused on improving her mastery of this element. She exhausted herself that day, trying to coax and convince the energies to work for her, bend to her will without sucking up all her reserves, and she failed miserably. So she crept a little closer to the fire, trying her best to accumulate some energy from its heat when what she needed in reality was a meal. It was on those thoughts that her mind drifted away to sleep, and disturbing images of a terrorized, desperate and lost Rin accompanied her into slumber.

"Jaken." The kappa jumped out of his pouting and came quickly to his master, bowing once again.

"Yes my Lord?" Sesshomaru kept looking at Kitana, who was now sleeping.

"Cover her."

"Wha- co, cover her, my Lord?"

Sesshomaru's eyes turned to the side, meeting with Jaken's own eyes without moving his head.

"With a blanket, Jaken. Cover her up."

"Yes, of course my Lord!" he said before urging himself toward Ah-Un. They did not carry much, as nature was providing for their every need, but a wool blanket had found its way inside the saddle pouch when Rin had joined them. He unrolled it and clumsily spread it over Kitana's body, who unconsciously grabbed it and brought it tightly under her chin. She would need whatever heat was available.

It was only moments later that a group of very tired travellers caught up with them. Having smelled their approach earlier when Kitana was searching for his ward, Sesshomaru decided to simply ignore them. After all, his companion needed not to be awakened by the sounds of battle and rat nests were known for holding lots of rats; his half-brother and his friends could take care of them better than Jaken and Ah-Un alone.

**SSSSS**

When they reached the valley and the small campfire that lit the night, Inuyasha and his friends headed directly toward it. They quickly noticed how silent the camp was and made themselves comfortable for the night a short distance away. They clearly saw that Sesshomaru, although hostile, would not attack them and as Inuyasha surprisingly didn't seem to mind the presence of his brother, they quickly decided to stop there for the remainder of the night. None of them had been able to localize the fox kid and they were uncertain about their decision to follow Sesshomaru anymore. What if the rat was waiting for them miles away with Shippo and Rin in his care? It was on these troubled thoughts that sleep caught them.

Inuyasha himself was not as tired as the humans of his group of course, and he stayed awake all night long, but he was somehow grateful for his brother not to force them to go elsewhere. He knew the humans didn't have enough strength left and while sleeping on the cold, bare ground didn't matter to him, it could make them sick in no time. It was a good thing for them to have a fire nearby.

**SSSSS**

The next morning, Kitana was forcefully and unpleasantly awakened by being thrown into cold, murky water.

"What the fuck! Sesshomaru! Why you-" she screamed angrily, totally awake now but with a smelly mud covering her up from head to toes. The offender, calmly standing beside her, was looking at a point of high interest at the horizon when he answered her.

"You did not wake up."

Kitana was fuming.

"Well, then you could have shaken me, you idiot! Not throw me in this disgusting water! Hell, I wonder if it is even water, it smells like… pheww!"

While he slowly turned his head to look at her, seriously thinking about retaliating for being called an idiot, she realized that they had an audience. About twenty feet from them were Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango and Miroku, looking at them with either pleasure or concern. The most anxious ones were Kagome and strangely, Sesshomaru himself. She couldn't figure out why they would be so worried while looking at her. Miroku and Inuyasha were clearly having a good time, and while she couldn't know it for sure, Kitana figured out the objects of their thoughts by following their gaze. Miroku was obviously detailing her muddy body, while Inuyasha was having fun at the expense of his brother, who was now glaring openly at the hanyou. Really, those two would never grow up, she thought.

Then, just as she saw that Inuyasha's group was coming closer, she heard Sesshomaru speaking to her in a low voice tinted with worried notes.

"This Sesshomaru couldn't wake you up. At all. You were… not breathing anymore."

Having said that, he turned away from her to look at the North-East, trying to drown his concern about her previous unresponsiveness by preparing himself for the task to come. Naraku would probably have set a trap somewhere, somehow, but Sesshomaru was confident in his abilities to face that trap head-on and leave unscathed; with Rin and Kitana at his side. He was starting to think about the different ways he could face that troublesome chore of retrieving once again his young human ward. As he finally decided to start by refusing the negotiations and defying the queen of the rats in battle, making her think that Rin was not as valuable as Naraku probably told her, an irritating sound reached his sensitive ears, reminding of where he was. And with whom.

"Kitana, we were so worried! It was just as if you were dead, completely dead! I am so glad you are fine! What happened?" screamed a very emotive Kagome.

"You shouldn't worry like that Kagome; I was very tired, that's all. When did you caught up with us?"

"Last night, a short while after nightfall. You were already asleep and we were so worn out we just fell on the ground and awoke with the sun."

"Fine. We just need to travel for a few hours, we are almost there. Shippo and Rin will be safe after that."

While she spoke to Kagome, Sango's uneasiness suddenly appeared to her senses. She eyed the usually wary youkai hunter, and she was met with a worried expression.

"Kitana, your eyes. What is happening to them?"

A chill travelled down Kitana's spine as she heard the commentary.

"What's wrong with my eyes, Sango?" she murmured.

The young slayer was looking intently at Kitana's face now, with Kagome and Miroku not far behind. Sesshomaru heard the comment and became very attentive to what was said, despite his aloof manners and his eyes fixed upon the horizon.

"They are… Not totally black but your irises are fading. There is not much gold left, they are really paler than usually. It…kind of gives me the creeps."

There was a few seconds when time seemed to have suspended its course before Kitana managed to answer something coherent, in a very unmoved tone.

"Oh that, you mean yes, I know what you mean. It's nothing; they do that depending on the weather and sunlight. Please do not concern yourself with that. Now, we should really get going, we have already lost too much time" she said, looking at Sesshomaru with a frown on her face. He reacted to her unspoken accusations by slitting his eyes at her, and both of them then took to the air, one very gracefully on a powerful cloud of youki, the other caked in brown mud on the back of Ah-Un. Jaken squawks resounded as he barely managed to grab onto Ah-Un's scaly tail before the large beast took off, then crawled all the way to the saddle while mumbling and groaning. Sango and Miroku quickly followed on Kirara and Kagome climbed atop Inuyasha's broad back in their traditional piggyback way. A fierce and determined look was engraved on everyone's faces and the pace at which they travelled was even faster than the day before. The lives of two young creatures were at stake and no one wanted to risk them further by being too late. However, two of them had additional reasons to worry on their mind.

The taiyoukai had seen those eyes before. When he surprised her feeding on the tiger youkai in the clearing, Kitana had looked at him with black, void eyes which slowly regained their golden irises. Her eyes that day, when they were changing back to normal, were absolutely similar to what they looked like today, and he was wondering about the meaning of this transformation. Would she enter a bloodlust and endanger his mission further? He wanted to believe that she would contain herself, or feed on some rats or even on his tiresome brother before the need became too overwhelming, but he had no way to be sure and it irritated him to no end.

Kitana herself did not take the events of the matinee lightly. She was afraid of what could happen now that she was clearly aware of her level of weakness. She should have sensed Kagome and her friends before they entered their camp the previous night and yet, she didn't even realized their presence when she was quarrelling with Sesshomaru. More, Sesshomaru should never have been able to carry her to the river fully asleep, for she was extremely sensible to attacks in her sleep and reacted even before she consciously registered there was a threat. Maybe her subconscious did not saw Sesshomaru as an enemy, but even then she should have reacted to his first attempts at waking her. And was Sesshomaru right, had she stopped breathing? She could live on without breathing for a very long time, but when she could take up the oxygen in the air she did, it was easier to burn up energy with oxygen around… And finally her eyes…

Sighing, she straightened her posture and took a good look at the ground below them. They have been travelling for a couple of hours, going toward the source of the dirty river that watered the dying trees in the valley they had left. The river though, had grown bigger and was now imprisoned in a deep canyon that separated two high, rocky hills. The mountains themselves were still far, but the ground was no longer a plain desert. Multiple hills were dispersed around them, and a distinct sulphuric smell was carried by the wind. They had entered an active volcanic area, which was confirmed a moment later when she felt a subtle rise in the temperature of the air. Then, her eyes returned to the brown, muddy river, which was coming out of a hole on the side of a small hill seated in the middle of a valley. Many larger hills were surrounding it, and she could see that the river was in fact coming from a pass between two high hills, entering the smallest one on the south-eastern side and coming out of it from the south-western side. Funnily, the eastern water was as clear as the western one was dirty. Multiple holes were visible around this hill, which ended abruptly on the Northern side on deep canyon from which came a reddish hue. A river of boiling lava.

Then, Miroku's voice reached her ears.

"Everyone, down! Take cover, now!"

His imperious voice reached every traveller and even though they did not understand why the monk asked for it, they all came to a stop and shielded themselves between a nearby cliff and a very large boulder. Even Sesshomaru obeyed, although he really questioned his sanity.

When they all regrouped, Miroku started speaking.

"There is a huge demonic aura coming from this hill, the one in front of us. A terrible aura."

"And I can sense jewel shards, they seem to be deep below the ground, under the hill… Three, no wait, four of them," added Kagome.

"It all makes sense, the hill there seems to be an ideal site for a rat nest. Look at all the holes poked everywhere; this hill is full of caves and tunnels. Ideal breeding ground for a colony of rat demons," concluded Sango.

"Feh! Then what are we waiting for? I say we blast that nest open, grab the brats and give the rats the spanking they deserve!" exclaimed Inuyasha, his hand on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

Sesshomaru did not pay any attention to the humans; his intense gaze and his growing irritation were aimed directly at Kitana. The woman was focused entirely on the nest now, looking at the hill with a frown on her face.

"Wait everyone." Kitana was standing between them and the way to the hill, her arms extended to her sides. Her features were calm and imposing, but she was holding her breath. When the attention of every member of the group was fully set upon her, when Inuyasha put his hand back to his haunches and Sesshomaru stopped frowning, she exhaled and relaxed her stance. Her eyes and senses were scrutinizing every human, demon and half-demon in presence, looking for signs of impatience.

"Wait. This hill, as you pointed out Sango, is home to countless demons. I would say many thousands. Many of them have high energy levels, and a few are as strong as you, Sesshomaru." On these words, the frown returned to Sesshomaru's face and his already upright posture straightened even more. Hidden behind his master's legs, Jaken was growing more and more nervous, not wanting to be caught in an epic battle where thousands of rats, all of them larger and stronger than him, would try to kill him. The provocative words Kitana just emitted toward Sesshomaru increased his stress, and he was about to faint when the more controlled monk spoke his mind.

"Kitana, what do you mean by energy level? Are you speaking about their auras?" asked the monk, who was stroking his chin in a concentrated way.

Kitana tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Aura? I do not know, Miroku. All I can tell is that I sense the energetic signature of living beings, and I can tell how much energy a being is holding. It can be compared to strength, if you like. Spiritual strength, that is."

Miroku slowly acknowledged her words with a nod, allowing her to continue speaking.

"I have… been in such places before. I never met rat demons, but species that dwell in huge numbers in underground hives or nests all act the same. They have powerful senses that allow them to navigate effortlessly in total darkness and a strong community sense, sometimes even a common consciousness that merges the individuals into a sole creature."

"What the fuck are you talking about? I don't care about their community or their conscious-thingy, because soon they will be dead rats! Why don't we stop talking and start fighting?" yelled a very irate hanyou. Just before a "sit" could remind him that the rules of society did not accept breaking off a conversation as good etiquette, a cold, bone-chilling voice sent shivers down his spine.

"Enough!"

If Inuyasha's eyes could have sent daggers, Sesshomaru would surely have died on the spot. However, Kitana placed herself right between the siblings and looked straight at Inuyasha.

"Soon the kids will be dead if we don't stop arguing or just rush in with no strategy! What I am trying to put in your big hard head Inuyasha is that the rats can probably act as a sole enemy. Attacking one of them is like attacking the whole nest. The message will be sent to the heart of the colony in the blink of an eye and before we know it they will have murdered both Rin and Shippo. Is that what you want, Inuyasha?"

Pressured by her aggressive gaze, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel threatened and he did not like it one bit. However, the pleading eyes of Kagome brought him back to reason and with a serious expression, he sighed and leaned against the rocky cliff behind him. A faint "Feh!" was the only comment he dared to make.

Turning half-way to look at the taiyoukai standing behind her, Kitana talked to him.

"Sesshomaru?"

He did not know what to answer. From what he could tell, his own plan had not been very different from his half-brother's idea, probably more organized and less chaotic, but similar nonetheless. He did not like to have his nose rubbed in his own errors, especially in front of lowly humans and a disgusting hanyou, but in the other hand no one knew what he had in mind before Kitana spoke her analysis of the situation. Whatever he would do, it was true that he couldn't barge in and claim his ward, killing any demon that dared cross his path. That was his usual way of doing things, but in this particular case it would only warrant terror and death for Rin. Death he could deal with later on. Terror, he would rather not. The weeks spent with a mute human child were frustrating enough for making him think twice before repeating the experience. With a very subtle nod, not letting anything of his inner fight appear on the surface, he allowed Kitana to continue.

"If I understand, we cannot enter the nest and fight our way to the kids… That leaves us with only one option: go out with a white flag and trade our jewel shards for their return," concluded Kagome.

"Kagome, I don't like that idea at all. We have no guarantee that they will give Shippo and Rin back when they get the shards. And we have nothing threatening to them, no leverage at all to push them to comply with our wishes. Those demons are sly creatures," added Miroku. Turning to Sango, he added "what can you tell us about rat demons, Sango?"

The demon slayer appeared pensive for a few moments before answering.

"There are two types of rat demons. There are small, animalistic rats that run over the land in a stampede of destruction; we already met with these. And there is a rarer species, larger, more humanoid rats. Those are the ones who live a conscious life, regrouped in nests just as this one. They eat anything, and even though most are not very good fighters, the sheer number of them would deter any attack. They are intelligent and cunning, it's true, and they do have some very skilled soldiers in the nests, usually to protect the breeding females. That's about all I know. Rat nests were a though nut to crack for the slayers and we would rather avoid confronting them…"

"Feh, as if I care about their numbers! As soon as the kids are out of there, the Wind Scar will annihilate all of them. I'm not afraid of puny little rats!" spouted Inuyasha, decided not to appear weak in front of Sesshomaru. His right hand twitched with the need of getting rid of him with a well-placed swing from the Tetsusaiga. His aborted attempt of the previous morning at ending his brother's life frustrated him, but the prick just wouldn't commit to their fight. It was as if Sesshomaru was toying with him or worse, had decided of a unilateral truce, but he couldn't understand the reasons behind this attitude. Nonetheless, even if he couldn't kill him now, he would never let Sesshomaru see him powerless in face of any situation, and it was exactly what was happening.

A faint buzzing sound reached their ears and stopped the conversation. Turning their heads, they all saw a single Saimyoshou patrolling along the riverbed.

"Kagome! Shoot this thing! Naraku is trying to locate us and if he succeeds, we are doomed," asked Sango.

Surprisingly, it was Kitana's turn to prevent them from acting.

"No. Everyone hide behind the boulder. Do not allow the bee to see you!"

"Hey, what the fuck do you think you are doing? Are you on Naraku's side or what? This thing has to go down!" shouted Inuyasha, unsheathing in Tetsusaiga with the clear intention to attack the hell bee. He was not ready though for Kitana's reaction to his attitude, as he found himself deprived of his ability to breathe when her right hand seized him by the throat and backed him up against the cliff, her left hand removing the Tetsusaiga from his grasp effortlessly.

"Never say things like that again" she said with a snarl. "After what he has done to Rin, Naraku is my own enemy as well as yours. Think, Inuyasha. This bee is probably a trap, sent to lure us out of hiding. Others are probably hiding nearby, waiting for us to attack this one, to fall prey to the strategy of their master. The only thing to do is lay low and wait for it to leave! Is it clear?"

Inuyasha was released from his humiliating position as soon as he nodded his consent. He had no idea Kitana was this strong, and this fast! Had he known… His instincts came back in force against her, urging him to get away or destroy the creature, but all he could do was retreat with the other at the back of the boulder, out of sight from the little insect. It was definitively not his day. Looking around behind his bangs, he rejoiced a little when he noticed that even his half-brother was listening to the woman, when usually he cared about no one's opinion and only did what he wanted to.

"Listen, everyone," Kitana started when the bee was not audible anymore. Six pairs of eyes were set upon her, human, demon and hanyou alike, and a sixth one was looking away, leaving the task of paying attention to the set of pointed ears that adorned his face. Satisfied, she continued.

"There is another solution. Let me go in the nest. I will retrieve Shippo and Rin and when I'm done, you can blast the damned thing in millions of pieces if you want."

She was interrupted by a clamor of indignation from the four companions. Jaken's beak almost fell off of his face, accompanied by his bulging eyes, at the sheer stupidity of what Kitana suggested.

"No way, we aren't letting you go in there! Did you forget what you said earlier, you will be detected and they will kill the brats!" shouted Inuyasha.

"He is right, Lady Kitana," added a more self-contained Miroku. "The consequences of one of us attacking the nest would be deadly on the kids, as you demonstrated yourself. Or… maybe you have something else on your mind?"

There was a moment of silence following his words, when the companions looked at the monk, a puzzled look marring their faces.

"You are right. I am not thinking about attacking them. I am talking about sneaking in, finding Rin and Shippo and bringing them out of the nest. When that is done, the rats can become minced meat I don't care. The children will be safe."

Her voice was soft and confident, a confidence that few of them could claim to share with her.

"And what makes you think you can do that any better than us? You aren't invisible from what I can tell! The rats will detect you as soon as you set foot on that hill!" voiced Inuyasha, feeling much more in control of himself than moments ago.

Kitana smiled and nodded, "of course they could see me. But I suspect that these creatures, at least those dwelling further underground, don't use their eyesight very much. They probably rely more on their senses of smell and touch to navigate their nest. Maybe heat receptors. They won't be able to smell me, as I carry almost no odor except for the… aroma from my earlier… bath, which comes directly from their nest. And believe me I won't let them touch me. Better yet, I see clearly in complete darkness, my clothes can block any heat emitted by my body and I can sense precisely where the kids are kept. If you let me do it, I guarantee I will succeed."

She gave them a moment to think about it, but her speech already convinced them. Something had to be done, and she seemed to love Rin enough not to jeopardize her rescue. However, it was not going to happen this way, as a voice broke the deliberations.

"No. You are staying here."

On these words, Sesshomaru left the protection of the boulder and started walking toward the nest, in plain sight of whatever might be spying on them. If she could have paled, Kitana's face would have become ten shades of grey paler than her usual onyx black the instant she saw him leave. Then she moved. The arrogant taiyoukai would have to pass over her dead body if he wanted to do it his way.

In two jumps she caught up with him and stood inches before him, daring him to continue. Sesshomaru frowned and tried to side-step her, to no avail, as she was determined to hinder his progress and to talk some sense into him. The monk, demon slayer, cat demon, priestess and hanyou quickly joined them and together, they encircled Sesshomaru whose temper was dangerously rising. Jaken, valuing his own life too much to place himself directly between his master and Kitana, stayed behind with Ah-Un.

"Stop this, Sesshomaru, I beg you. You know perfectly well that I can do this task better than anyone. In fact I am the only one who can succeed. If you go forward… you'll have Rin's blood on your hands." Kitana was intently looking at Sesshomaru and the others were immobile and silent, as a battle of will was unfolding before them.

Sesshomaru deigned to lower his gaze to meet her fiery, almost black eyes. He did not want to alienate her, but at the same time his decision was final, he would not bend to her. He moved forward, pushing her to the side. Kitana saw the determination in his face, and she saw red. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again to look at the back of the departing taiyoukai, they were shining a fierce golden color.

"Everyone, go away from here. Find someplace with clean water and maybe food, Shippo and Rin will need it when I come back." They did not move, so she turned her face to them and added "Go! Now!" Startled by her unusual appearance and aggressive tone of voice, they nodded and left, heading for the top of the cliff from where they could search for a hot spring or something similar. Even Inuyasha, the fierce warrior, did not think about retaliating or refusing her demand. He led the others out of harms way.

Kitana returned her attention to Sesshomaru. With her feet firmly gripping the dirt soil below them, she concentrated on the energies around her. She called forth the formidably strong nature of the wind and a wall of impenetrable air formed all around her adversary. Stopped in his movements, Sesshomaru eyes widened as he tried to move and he discovered that he was completely restrained by an invisible cloak, impeding any movement he tried to make, paralysing him on the spot. He felt his anger rising even more under the abuse he was receiving, his eyes started to turn to a deep crimson color; but remembering who was doing that to him, he did his best to calm down and not let his deeper, vicious nature take the best of him. Soon the cause of his torments appeared before him, a stern, serious look upon her face.

"You will stop your sorcery immediately, woman. This Sesshomaru won't allow you to go in there no matter what you say or do."

"Sesshomaru, don't be silly." Kitana's voice was kept low and was deepened by her anger and her concern for the little Rin. "Why are you acting like that? I am sure that you realize that my idea is the best one."

He planted his eyes in her own.

"You let yourself become weak. Again. You are in need of rest and nourishment. This Sesshomaru cannot put the responsibility of Rin's well-being on your shoulders at this moment. Your needs could overwhelm you and you could -"

A strong feeling of rage invaded Kitana's mind and in response, the wall of wind that immobilized Sesshomaru started to close on him, crushing him slowly under an increasing pressure. He stayed still, never leaving Kitana's gaze.

"Never imply I might do something as horrible and dishonorable as feeding upon Rin, Sesshomaru. Never. I do not want to hear that again, for I might not respond of my acts. Listen well. I may not be at my peak, I may be a poor opponent at hand-to-hand fighting, but I am strong enough for this mission. I have been born, raised and trained to accomplish exactly what needs to be accomplished today. Entering a hive without being detected, retrieving something and going out unscathed, is what I do best. I might not be very brilliant at fighting regenerating cat demons or iron-skinned water dragons, but in stealth I have no equal."

"This Sesshomaru –"

She took a step forward, reducing the distance between them to about a foot. The tension in the air was immense, and Inuyasha's group atop the cliff couldn't help but wait and stare at what was happening below.

"Right now, I don't care about what This Sesshomaru thinks! I care about the girl who is probably crying her eyes out in a dirty, cold underground prison, and I will rescue her no matter what you decide. The only thing I ask of you is simply to give me your trust, Sesshomaru. Show me that after all the time spent together, all these things that you are the only one to know about me, that you can trust me. That you can truly forgive, accept and trust my nature, my very being. Show me. Do it for Rin, if you cannot do it for me."

That being said, she held her breath and released her control over the winds, letting go of the walls that kept Sesshomaru captive. To her surprise, he did not try to overcome her once again. Instead, the taiyoukai simply took one step forward, reducing the distance between them to about six meager inches. She now had to raise her head to keep her contact with his eyes, and he facilitated it by looking down at her. A whisper left his lips and she did not interrupt it.

"This Sesshomaru… is not certain that you could be brought back, were you to die. Tenseiga… creatures like you… did not exist when it was forged."

Frowning, she answered, not sure if she understood what he meant. Brought back? From death?

"I won't die, you big idiot. I go in, grab her, and go out. Then you can annihilate them completely."

She raised her hands and grabbed two of the spikes that adorned his frontal armor.

"Let me do it, Sesshomaru."

Scrutinizing her face, Sesshomaru then raised his own right hand and delicately cupped her chin, letting a finger caress the curve of her jaw. He took a decision.

"Are you in need of assistance?"

A soft smile appeared on her lips when she understood that she had won.

"No, not down there. I just need time, as much time as possible, and I fear it won't be granted to me if your half-brother has his word to say. Kagome, Sango and Miroku are very anxious about the fox too, and the fire cat Kirara is having a hard time not rushing in the nest to retrieve him. Even Jaken, as cowardly as he is, can't stand the inaction anymore and is likely to show you his devotion by taking on the nest all by himself. It would help me immensely if you could find a way to stop them from interfering."

A subtle nod from him and that was it. He flicked a tousled strand of silvery hair behind his left shoulder, turned to face the cliff, and was gone in a flash.

Below the cliff, Kitana knew that what happened was extremely unusual and rare for Sesshomaru. She sensed his inner conflict and was not sure to understand perfectly what happened. He was torn inside, for feelings of love, loyalty and protectiveness were battling against his fierce, indomitable and unsubmissive nature. She had no time to decipher what it could mean, as obviously the battle had turned in her favor and she could not fail the task ahead. She could not fail him, or Rin. So she took a short instant to modify her clothes, her flowing pants morphing into her usual slinky outfit, her golden ornaments upon her forehead, waist, wrists and ankles turning black and fusing with the surrounding dull black material. She then faced the high hill that sheltered her enemies, and dived in the muddy, warm waters of the river exiting the nest.

Atop the cliff, Sesshomaru found the little group of spies and was not pleased by their presence, to say the least. Frowning, he cast a look down at the rat nest, for he would have loved to let go of some frustration by teaching them exactly what he thought of their disobedience, but wreaking havoc a few hundred meters from the nest was not a good thing to do.

"You let her go, you bastard? I can't believe that! So she has the right to tell us what to do, and then you let her do exactly what she forbid us! There's no ways I'll let that happen!" shouted an irate Inuyasha.

"You won't do anything, hanyou. Kitana and the kids will be in need of care when they come out from there, you were supposed to look for a shelter. Then the rats and maybe Naraku himself will come to meet us." Lowering his gaze, he gave a hard look to Jaken, who was more obedient than that usually. The small kappa shivered, and then bowed down to his master.

"Yes, my Lord, yes, please allow this lowly servant to help!" With that he turned around and climbed upon Ah-Un, leaving the scene in search of a suitable camp site.

"Inuyasha, he is right, we need to prepare ourselves for their arrival and for the battle to come. Come, let's go," pleaded a nervous and sad Kagome. Everyone in their group felt helpless in the face of a danger they did not really understand and they hated to let their fate fall into the hands of others, but it had to be done that way. Miroku grabbed Inuyasha by an arm and pulled him away from his brother, who simply stood there atop the cliff. Sesshomaru did not wait for them to leave before choosing his waiting spot. He sat in-between two large rocks and concealed by their shadows, he begun his surveillance of the nest. If anything seemed to go wrong, he could intervene in an instant.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 17**

Kitana swam for what seemed like an eternity. The river descended with an important current from the side of the hill, but she had no difficulties swimming upstream. When she approached the nest though, she saw that the flow of the river was disturbed by the presence of numerous stalagmites that she would have to go round. The depth of the river itself diminished and she had to be careful not to let her spiked back emerge and alert the rats about her intrusion. She could sense them, multiple little specks of energy running and foraging in the tunnels surrounding the river. She could also clearly detect Rin and Shippo's energies, who were kept together in a much deeper part of the nest.

She detected an area devoid of rats where a larger tunnel departed to the left in a descending direction. Silently, she emerged from the water and climbed on the nearest wall, reaching the ceiling in no time. She pressed herself tightly to the rock, erecting her back spines so she would mimic the stalactites that descended from the roof of the cave. Just as she predicted, there was absolutely no light that deep underground, not even a luminescent moss or a torch to light her way. Closing her eyes, she paid a closer attention to what her other senses told her.

She sensed the energy of lots of rats inside the large tunnel. They were mostly on the ground though, some of them escalating the walls to go over the others, but none shared her ability at sticking to the ceiling. None of them was strong either, they were all low-level demons, small fry, but she knew she would be in trouble if they detected her presence. She advanced slowly, taking utmost care not to make any rocks or pebbles fall on the ground, and then she saw them.

Her thermal vision gave her a glimpse of what she had gotten herself into. Multiple small bodies, about the size of a human child, were running all over the ground in an explosion of crimson, yellow and white colors dancing over the underlying tones of black and deep blue of the cold rock. Their claws clicking on the ground and their noses sniffing the air made a concert of strange, foreign noises, combined to squeaking sounds that were heard from time to time. Some of them were carrying food items in their mouths, between huge incisor teeth.

Her black, spiked body was the perfect disguise to infiltrate an underground complex of caves and tunnels. Her natural instincts came rushing back at her, and no matter how much she tried to keep up a civilized façade toward those she considered her friends, in this environment her nature couldn't be denied. The aliens' hives, although transformed by the resin secreted by the creatures themselves, were very similar to this nest with multiple tunnels branching and going everywhere, and she felt at home despite the terrible smell. As long gone memories of past hives and battles came back to her, she savoured the moment. She had always wondered how much of her was from the Aliens, and how much from… something else. She thought about the way all of these monsters deferred before her, she remembered the touch of the Queens' minds upon hers, and for an instant she wondered if she would have been happier living a simpler live among her kin rather than skimming the stars in search of blood and revenge. Being connected to the Hive Mind had been for her the most formidable thing in her life.

But this place was no Alien Hive, and there was no Hive Mind to soothe her and guide her decisions. The rats were simpler than she had thought; their very basic emotions were nonetheless individual and not connected to each other. They apparently scurried along the place following scent tracks, their noses never immobile; this was not the behavior of higher beings. Suspended to the ceiling in a crouched position, Kitana played with the idea of staying there, hidden in the maze of tunnels, and decimating the rats one by one, slowly destroying the whole nest just as a true, pure-blooded alien would have done with delight. Saliva came flooding to her mouth as she envisioned the pleasure she would take in stalking and killing her preys, one after the other, and evading their counter-attacks. When a strand of the sticky fluid menaced to overflow her lips and fall to the floor, she came back to her senses. Very rarely had she been so close to her instincts, and it irked her. She had lived all her life trying to prove herself and others that she was not a beast, not a mindless animal, and she would not let it happen no matter how tempting the idea was.

Moving stealthily between the rocky formations, she went undetected over the multiple rodents. Once a bigger one came down the tunnel, sporting a larger amount of energy but nothing to the level of what she sensed from outside the nest. The real fighters were grouped together, even deeper in the nest than the children.

After the large rat passed by, Kitana stopped her progression to obtain more information about her surroundings. She called to her energy-sensing ability to see the rats that were circulating all around the place and use their endless lines and rows to determine the layout of the confusing tunnels. Turns and twists, vertical ventilation shafts, dead-ends and crumbled tunnels were abundant and she did not have any spare time to waste loosing her way.

As the information came back to her, she determined that she was far from the kids, very far. Somehow the hill was only the tip of the nest and the tunnels plunged very deep inside the earth. She felt a great source of heat down below, close to where she needed to go. Determined she took the right turns and took down a small vertical shaft headfirst, her hands and feet sticking to the rock as easily as if she had been walking on the floor. She started her descent, slowing down only when she crossed with a horizontal pathway loaded with the rodents; the small furry creatures were not able to navigate such a vertical passage, thus allowing her to accelerate the pace.

When she reached the end of the shaft, which leaded to tunnels much warmer than the upper ones, she was closer to her targets. Taking a good look before starting to move again, she saw that the rats around her were now different from the first ones; she could not detect the sound their fur made when brushing against each other, as if the creatures were nude. The pattern in which the heat distributed inside their bodies also changed, becoming hotter, and where she could once sense the warm presence of eyes, she only felt a void filled with cold bone and skin. The rodents that dwelled in the deeper levels of the nest were furless and totally blind.

After a half hour spent carefully navigating upside down on the ceiling over a multitude of chirping and crawling rats, she was much closer to the level were she could sense Rin and Shippo. A new kind of obstacle presented itself though, one that she had not anticipated even though she should have, having seen it from outside the nest. Underneath her the ground had crumbled, revealing a stream of boiling lava flowing lazily about a hundred meters below her. The heat was incredible, and there were now only small ledges on the walls on which the rats could move about. She had reached the deepest parts of the nest, which was built directly on an active volcano.

A short way ahead, the tunnel opened on a very large cavity. The ceiling went up, culminating in a dome at least a hundred meters high, and many other tunnels emerged everywhere around the cavern. Narrow pathways circulated along the walls all around the chamber, connecting the tunnels together, and endless lines of nude rodents, small and large, were navigating on these catwalks. The lava down below was covered with a black crust of thick, colder magma and a reddish, eerie glow was cast from times to times when the crust broke up in smaller parts, letting the red lava appear in between.

Kitana took her time, evaluating her options. She detected the tunnel she had to take to reach the kids, which was on the opposite side of the chamber. The shortest way to this tunnel forced her to cross five lines of rats, and she could not risk that. She would have to descend further alongside the wall and move as close to the lava as she dared, following the curve of the chamber to the other side. Then, there was only one pathway full of rodents that entered the tunnel she planned to take. Sighing, she decided she would deal with them once she got there.

Her descent started well, with not a foe noticing her. She took utmost care to move in sync with the bursts of light that came from the lava, stopping when the light was strong enough to outline her movements, moving when darkness came back. The rats were all of the blind race, but she could not take any chance; if a sighted demon was to come here and see her, it would be the end.

As she reduced the distance between herself and the minerals in fusion, she discovered that she was not hurt by the heat. It was not comfortable, and any other creature could not have tolerated this kind of heat, but she was not truly suffering from it. She remembered accounts of Aliens surviving from being pushed in the hearth of furnaces by steel factory workers; she deemed them far-fetched and doubtful when she first heard these stories, but now she was reconsidering them. She also knew very well that the Aliens were known to build their hives around a central hot point, and she understood why. The heat permeated her body, replenishing some of her meager energies. Not to a point similar to a meal, by far, but the sensation was pleasant and it boosted her confidence.

While she made her way to the farther side of the chamber, Kitana discovered a useful phenomenon. The larger eruptions of lava that happened down below often triggered the fall of small rocks from the walls. She witnessed the death of about fifteen rats when a pathway crumbled underneath their feet. The other rats didn't seem to mind the disappearance of their peers in the slightest, as if this was a common occurrence.

Kitana used that to her advantage. When she came only meters away from the line of rats that blocked her path to the tunnel, she concentrated what powers she had left and waited for an eruption. She did not have to wait long, as a big bubble of magma inflated and blew right below her, sending small tremors inside the wall. She immediately provoked the collapse of the catwalk to her right by manipulating the earth around it. The results were as good as she hoped: the column of rodents reacted too late and the demons bumped into each other, sending another two into oblivion, and then turned back to where they came from. No alert was given, the creatures were calm and collected, circulating with materials or food in their mouth that were too important to deliver to loose time on something as trivial and common as a rock fall.

As she entered the tunnel which headed toward the surface, a strange vision came to her. Up ahead, a very large nude rat was being carried by multiple smaller ones. The large rat was colder and not moving, and when it came closer to the light emitted by the volcano Kitana could see that it was dead: a huge, dead female with swollen mammary glands. The small creatures brought the body to the entrance of the tunnel and threw her down into the lava, before turning tail and returning to where they came from. Kitana followed, as the path to the kids was going this way.

**SSSSS**

Above the ground, edginess had grown. Inuyasha had been quick to spot a hot spring that wasn't too hot for human beings, as was often the case in such an environment. However, the sulphurous smells around the water were too strong for him to bear so with the consent of his friends, they chose to camp further down the slope that led to the basin. Jaken had grumbled and insulted them in his usual way until a well-placed blow from Miroku's staff rendered him silent, for a while at least.

Kagome and Sango had done an inventory of the food left in the huge yellow backpack that never left Kagome's side. There would be enough ramen for the kids, but the others would have to share energy bars. Water was a problem though, as the river was completely polluted and the sulphurous waters of the hot spring had an unpleasant smell. Kagome carried about a litre of bottled water, but Sango decided to let some of the hot spring water cool down just in case the smell would go away with time. They would have to limit the water they would put in the ramen if they wanted to avoid shortage, and leave as soon as they could. While they were planning their sustenance, they sent Miroku to gather wood for the fire. It wasn't an easy task, as trees were very few on this sterile ground, but the ones he found were dead or dying so he could pick the branches directly on the trunks. All this time, Inuyasha was trying to hunt down some food but he found nothing except small rodents and snakes that were hiding in holes as soon as he approached. He came back to his friends, pushing them to hurry up, and when he saw that his best annoying behavior led to no results except being sat again and again, he started sulking, sited atop a bigger dead tree. The only thing left for him to do was to cut open some rats and, why not, a dog demon, and even that was denied to him.

When there was enough wood gathered and water collected, about an hour after their arrival at the spot, the young fighters couldn't resist going back to the cliff overlooking the rat nest. They moved carefully, but as the spying bees were nowhere to be seen, they quickly reached Sesshomaru's hiding place. A simple glance from him stopped them from joining him though, not that they wanted to but his hideout was perfect. Only the little Jaken managed to squat nearby, leaning against Ah-Un's side. The greenish-brown color of the steed was a perfect camouflage, making it very hard to detect him amongst the boulders and rocks found atop the cliff.

Leaving the kappa and dragon with their master, Inuyasha and his companions found other smaller boulders that they could crouch or sit in between, avoiding being detected by any onlookers from the nest or from the sky, and waited. After a while, Kagome rose and hesitantly approached the taiyoukai.

"Herm, hmm, Sesshomaru-sama…"

He did not acknowledge her presence, but she continued anyway as he was definitely not deaf, she was certain of that.

"I was, erm, wondering…. Did anything happen while we were gone?"

Her only answer was a stern "Hn" which she translated to no. Sighing, she went back to her group and prepared herself for what could be a long wait.

**SSSSS**

Rin and Shippo had been unconscious for most of the travel from their camp to the nest. The rats that abducted them carried a liquid which emitted a strong gas, and whenever one of the kids emerged from slumber, they would open the jar containing the liquid to put them back to sleep. The demons had been pleasantly surprised by the presence of the two children alone in the woods. Their Queen had asked them to bring back both the child that was travelling with the Shikon priestess and the one who was by the dog youkai side so her plan could succeed, but they thought the wait for them to join together and scurry away from the adults would be longer. They had been very lucky.

As they neared the nest, the rats let them awaken completely though. At first Rin and Shippo did not understand what was going on around them, as they seemed to be moving inside the earth itself. There were four large rats with them, as tall as adult humans, two of them in front and two carrying them. They were advancing through the earth, the first rats emitting youki with their hands that pushed the soil to their sides. Their feet were placed upon small rocky slabs fuelled by their youki that pushed them forward at a great speed with no physical effort. Behind them, the ground collapsed and crumbled when the youki left it, leaving no tunnel to follow for eventual pursuers.

The children were so mesmerized by what was happening around them that they did nothing to fight off their captors. However, it changed when they entered the nest itself for a strong smell of sulphur, rodent urine and faeces irritated they noses. Shippo, who was particularly sensible to scents, managed to pull out one of his toys and was soon replaced by a heavy stone statue that made the rat plummet to the ground. Rejoiced by his success, the little fox was quickly brought back to reality when he realized that he had nowhere to go. It was very dark around him and rats were everywhere, showing their sharp teeth and hissing at him. He tried to fight them off with his foxfire, but to no avail. He was quickly caught again and stripped of all his magical toys. He wondered why the rats did not bother to bind him and Rin, but soon understood when they were thrown in a three meters deep hole in the ground. A very scant light was coming to them from above, and sounds of suffering and despair reached their ears, apparently coming from somewhere close to them.

Shippo tried his best to escape the hole, digging at the bottom and at the walls, jumping or climbing to reach the top, to no avail. One of his tentative resulted in a good beating from the rats, as they saw him emerging from the hole in his pink balloon form. To Rin's delight, he even tried transforming into a rat to easily climb out of the hole and flee undetected, but his fox tail gave him away and he was thrown back into the hole with a new black eye. After all his attempts failed, he turned to his unfortunate companion, puzzled by her peacefulness. She was sitting in a corner, her arms resting on her knees and humming a song to herself when he spoke to her.

"Rin, why don't you help me escape from here? Don't you wish to be out of here? Aren't you afraid of what they might do to us? Rats eat anything, you know! I think even Inuyasha will not be able to find us here, not with the smell that burns the nose."

The small girl smiled to her brave fox friend, stopping him from erupting in tears.

"Don't worry, Shippo-kun. Lord Sesshomaru will be here for us soon. He always rescues Rin, always."

The fox was puzzled, for him Sesshomaru was nothing more than a ruthless killer, almost stronger than Inuyasha and caring about no one but himself. When he told that to Rin, she simply giggled and started humming again.

The following day and night blended together as a slow continuation of the same nightmare, basked in the gloomy twilight of the cave and soon they lost sense of time. They managed to use one of the holes that Shippo dug up for their natural needs, but as after two days without eating or drinking they were dehydrated, it became useless. They slept a lot, taking small naps and trying their best to entertain each other in between, often awakening curled in each other's arms.

**SSSSS**

Kitana, hidden on the ceiling, followed the group of rats who threw the breeding female in the lava for a while, and after a few turns they entered a chamber were an unexpected sight appeared to her.

Multiple huge females, similar to the dead one she saw earlier, were scattered everywhere across the floor. She couldn't count them all. About a quarter of them were of the nude variety, and the rest were regular rats. Many of the furred females sported a higher energy level and seemed much more conscious and less animalistic than the others. All were feeding large groups of small pups in different stages of development and most were also blatantly in advanced gestation. The small furless rodents were tending to them, carrying the droppings to a far away corner and licking the skin of the small newborns. She detected the presence of at least four huge males who were mating with the females in turn, not caring at all about the state of gestation they were in. The males seemed to have claimed territories and displayed aggressively to each other when they came close enough to do so, but never attacking. Kitana silently passed over this amazing display of intensive breeding and continued through a tunnel that led to the surface, to finally reach the place where she knew Shippo and Rin were kept, in a round chamber at a dead-end.

She took her time, evaluating her options. She knew that was close to one of the exits of the nest, but before reaching it she would have to by-pass many sighted enemies while carrying two smelly, white-skinned children which was very risky. A dim light as well as fresh air were brought to the place by long, narrow chimneys that she was too large to enter. The kids could have done it though, but they were apparently completely vertical and she couldn't picture Rin escalating one of them. There was no guard at the entrance of the prison, which was good, but she felt at least two rats inside the chamber and multiple other creatures, which were not moving around at all, probably being kept captive. Summoning her courage and hoping for her luck not to leave her, she entered the prison.

The place was a natural cavity of about thirty meters of diameter. Stalagmites and stalactites created an eerie atmosphere, and three chimneys brought enough light for human sight to be functional here. Kitana couldn't help but wonder about the age of this complex array of caves and tunnels, for rocky formations such as the one she was admiring needed a lot of humidity to be formed and the place was as dry as it could be. Carefully choosing the darkest corners and spots, she made her way to where she felt Rin's presence. Between the rocky columns that supported the roof, deep holes were holding captive different creatures, all of them weak and emitting desperate sounds. Then she saw the guards: two huge rats towering over two meters high, clad in full body armors made out of different pieces amalgamated from multiple samurai armors. Both had huge swords in hands and were laughing hard, harassing a prisoner near the cell of the kids, plunging their swords toward the creature contained in there.

Kitana was facing a problem. She would have to incapacitate them to reach Shippo and Rin, but attacking one guard without alerting the other would be challenging. She knew no blood could be drawn for the rodents had already demonstrated their keen sense of smell by the casual way they navigated inside the dark tunnels, and if she was right they could probably detect pheromones emitted by a fearful rat. Or the scent of a dead rat. Her energies were extremely reduced and her favorite means of killing at a distance, by crushing the internal organs, always caused some blood to spill from the mouth, eyes or ears. Fire she couldn't use either, and she would not take the chance of letting a scream escape the place if she used wind to immobilize them. Sighing, she resolved herself to watch them and wait for the best opportunity to strike. After all, when fancy powers were of no use, she could always come back to her natural physical abilities...

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was becoming very irritated. Kitana had been gone for almost all the afternoon and he itched for a good battle. He had already silenced the grumbling Jaken by throwing him a rock and had nothing left to evacuate his frustration.

A few feet away, Sango was polishing her Hiraikotsu, preparing for the upcoming battle, Kirara curled in her lap. Miroku was in a meditating posture, sporting a red hand imprint on each cheek, and Kagome examined her arrows for the tenth time since they started their watch. Inuyasha was dozing off in a corner, his vigilance numbed by the long waiting hours and the previous sleepless nights. Once in a while he awoke, took a suspicious look at his friends and foes who feigned not to notice him taking a nap, and then closed his eyes again.

**SSSSS**

Kitana was very slowly descending headfirst along the darker side of a stone column, her prey approaching her unknowingly from the other side. The guards had left their victim alone a few minutes ago for a patrol of the other prisoners and she took her chance when they reached opposite sides of the room. She took care of the first guard swiftly and, silently, she regained the center of the room where the guards usually met in their patrol. Now that one of them was neutralized, she only had to concentrate on the last one and free the kids.

Descending a little more, she felt the rat coming closer to her and she struck. In a move faster than the eye could see, she extended her bony tail toward the rat's muscular neck. A movement at the very tip of the appendage revealed the presence of a stinger, usually hidden inside the shaft of the tail. The tiny point dripped yellow poison, and by merely brushing it against the rat's hide, Kitana managed to inject the guard with her venom without even wounding him. The rodent didn't even realize that he was assaulted when his brain and muscles fell under the powerful paralysing agents contained in the poison. In a breath, he went limp and was grabbed by Kitana. She left the sleeping body in one of the unoccupied holes with the other guard where they would sleep soundly for a couple of hours, and then ran to the hole where the kids were kept.

In a jump she reached the bottom of the hole, silencing them in a flash with a firm hand on each of their opened mouths. In their weakened state, they very weakly fought back and then they recognized her. Tears came to Shippo's eyes but a "shhhhh" from Kitana prevented him from bursting in cries. Rin's face was beaming with a toothy smile when her mouth was released. Kitana took a moment to examine them before starting the most dangerous part of her intervention. The black eyes on Shippo's face were turning a deep bluish green, both children had eyes a little sunken from the water deprivation and their clothes were in rags, but beside that they appeared healthy, no open wounds or broken members.

Kitana had yet to bring them out of the nest and it wouldn't be an easy task; actually, it would be the most testing part of her raid. She looked around the hole and found what she was searching for; to the disgust of the kids, she grabbed handfuls of the dirty soil in the farther corner of the hole and plastered it on their faces and clothes. Shippo was about to throw up but did his best to stay silent. Kitana was a grown-up and unlike children, grown-ups would not do yucky things without a purpose, especially a grown-up who travelled with Sesshomaru, he told himself. Holding back his nausea, he took Rin's example and let Kitana turn him into a walking mound of filth.

Kitana was pleased by what she saw. The eyes of the child were now the only white parts that showed, and to her nose their scent was exactly similar to the stench that filled the whole nest. It would have to do: it was the best she could do.

She took Rin in her arms and in a whisper asked the girl to grab her neck and waist firmly so she could support her safely when they would reach the ceiling. When she was done, the small fox child jumped upon Rin's shoulder and although he was at least half her size, he rolled up in a tiny ball of fur, hanging to the tattered clothes with his claws. Kitana gave him a nod of approval and jumped out of the hole after checking for any hostile presence.

Shippo and Rin were hanging on as strongly as they could, but their muscles were weak from the lack of sustenance. When Kitana climbed a column and suspended herself to the ceiling of the cave, she wrapped her tail around their bodies for an added security. It left her unbalanced but it was not too bad; as long as she didn't have to run and jump they would be fine. Under her, she detected the presence of humanoid rodents similar to the guards of the prison, and other smaller ones more like the messenger they met at the camp two days ago. They appeared to prefer the lighted areas over the dark ones, so they gathered in the tunnels and chambers were the chimneys brought some dim light. She took her time, trying to move slowly from a dark spot to another one, making sure no rat was looking her way before moving. The conversations of the demons were banal for now, centered around food gathering and great battles to come when their Queen would become even more powerful, but she stayed attentive to what was being said in case words of the kids' escape were to circulate.

They were approaching the surface when the rats noticed the absence of their most important prisoners and discovered the paralyzed guards. Only some hundreds of meters of tunnels were left before breaking outside, but the rodents were now very agitated, lighting up torches and inspecting every corner of the tunnels and rooms. Huge rats started to appear from some sideways, even bigger and more muscular than the guards. Warriors, thought Kitana. She decided to hide in between two large stalactites for a moment, and think about her strategy.

"Shippo, Rin," she whispered. "You will move onto my back, very very slowly. Hang on as tight as you can, for I won't be able to hold you with my tail. When you are ready, we will run toward the exit," she added when the kids successfully managed to shift onto her back. Rin was smiling widely now, and in a muted tone told Kitana "this is just like when we played with Master Jaken!"

Kitana smiled at her and nodded, warmed by the confident attitude of the girl. She waited for the rats to scatter a little bit, and she jumped to the ground. Immediately detected, she broke into a run for her life.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 18**

Atop the cliff, Sesshomaru gracefully rose up from his position. Something was going on in the nest. Countless rats were going out of the numerous holes and assembled around the south western side of the hill, near a large entrance. He detected many massive soldiers amongst them, swords unsheathed and fangs ready to strike at whatever was going to come out of the hole. Unable to wait anymore, he jumped to the ground and unsheathed his lethal Tokijin.

"Kagome, you stay here! I don't want you to interfere! I don't know what is going on out there, but if that asshole is going down there, I am going too!" shouted Inuyasha, his now fully transformed Tetsusaiga at his hands.

Kagome nodded, notching an arrow. She was far from the battle, but if she could fry some rats from where she stood, she would do it no matter what. Sango and Miroku left atop Kirara, and the battle begun.

The group of rats, attacked on two flanks, divided into four groups. Hundreds of them went against Sesshomaru while the rest divided between the couple on the fire cat, the red-clad hanyou and the entrance of the nest.

The Tokijin was almost singing with malevolence as Sesshomaru transformed the slaughtering of rats into a work of art, moving effortlessly amongst the crowd of warriors and workers that were coming at him. His goal was to reach the entrance of the nest, but as soon as he reduced a group of attackers into a pile of gore and bloodied members, another fresh group came at him and he had to start all over again. Soon mounds of corpses surrounded him as he navigated toward his destination.

Inuyasha was at last able to let his anger and frustration out. Tetsusaiga in hand, he had already cut open countless small rats when he was attacked by a group of huge soldiers. They came at him all at once, to be quickly decimated by the fang of his father. The Wind Scar cut through their ranks like a hot knife in butter, and for once Inuyasha was careful at where he sent his powerful attack, only targeting the rats further down the slope, away from the main entrance. The ones above him were far from being safe though, caught in between the dog brothers' furious strikes, and it quickly became clear that the rodents were at a huge disadvantage.

In the air, the situation was even better. Miroku used his wind tunnel expertly, sucking up a lot of rats and destabilizing some who were too close to his allies to be sucked in. Sango masterfully used her boomerang, efficiently reducing the numbers of foes. The dragon steed, un-muzzled, was doing passes over the squirming masses of rats, burning many of them with the blasts coming from each of his heads. Jaken was seated upon his saddle, ranting loudly about the greatness of his Lord Sesshomaru to whoever would listen to him before being burned to the bones by the Staff of Two Heads. Kagome's arrows were not to be forgotten, as pure pink shots of lights transformed the rats at the periphery of the attack into piles of smoldering ashes.

**SSSSS**

Inside the nest, all hell was breaking loose. Kitana did her best to sprint toward the exit, jumping from the walls to the ceiling and to the floor, but the kids on her back could not withstand the speeds at which she knew she could travel and the rats had enough time to react to her presence in a threatening way. They had something in preparation for her and were piling up in front of her, forcing her to fight a living wall of swords, teeth and claws instead of fleeing away. The kids were brilliant, holding onto her back with all their might. Shippo once in a while found an opening to use his foxfire, which did not hurt much but blinded the surrounding rats used to the dim light of the underground nest, allowing Kitana to swoop on them like an eagle on its prey. Her tail was used as a whip, slashing and cutting her enemies while she was clawing at them with her hands and feet. Screams of pain, hatred, fear and agony resonated in the caves and tunnels, creating an eerie, deafening sound that seemed to increase the madness of the rodents. When she could, Kitana would ran on the wall over their heads before being brought down by a group of rats emerging directly from the walls or the ceiling, fangs and swords at the ready. Yes, these creatures could indeed manipulate the earth much better than she could ever do! She somehow managed to cut through all of them and jump over the reminders of their troops when, as she neared the entrance, she discovered it was completely obstructed by a massive group of rats, from workers to warriors and soldiers. Her options severely reduced, she took a moment to summon her powers and sent her flickering energies directly toward them, entering their system and making their brains and hearts explode under the pressure. As the pile of convulsing rats crumbled, she ran right through them and finally reached the surface.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was now a mere dozen of feet from the entrance of the nest when he saw the rats that blocked the tunnel collapse in seizures, blood oozing from every body opening. Next thing he knew, a black missile blasted out of the nest, Shippo and Rin on its back. With a renewed ferocity, he viciously slew the remaining rats that tried to attack his partner and his ward. Having witnessed the arrival of Kitana, Ah-Un was now diving toward them, a panicked Jaken holding onto the saddle with difficulties. When she saw the beast approaching, Kitana ran to him, jumped onto his back and sat the kids there, on the large saddle of the steed that would become their protector. She then jumped back into the melee, claws and tail at the ready. It was pay back time for the rats.

The nest had never been under such a fierce attack in rodent's memory and the rats were frenzied by all this violence that they had been wishing for since their queen was given those Shikon shards. They did not care about the death of their comrades, as there were so many more of them just waiting inside the nest to be brought to the battle. Their sheer numbers would take out any attacker and a shiver travelled amongst the chaotic ranks of rodents when the word passed that their enemies would be tiring soon.

Kagome was out of arrows, but her mind was not on the battle anymore. Ah-Un and Jaken were heading toward her, the exhausted, disgusting children lying on the saddle. The steed stopped by her side to allow her to jump upon his back. Hesitating before the great beast, Kagome was prompted to climb on when a rat emerged from the ground beside her, just to be burned to ashes by Jaken. Electrified by this close-call and grateful for Jaken's help, she took the reins and held on as Ah-Un took flight, heading directly to the campsite.

**SSSSS**

As the battle unfolded on the side of the hill, the human fighters were slowly deprived of the element of surprise and the adrenaline rush that pushed them forward. The hard travelling of the last days was taking its toll on them, and the boomerang strikes became weaker. The monk had absorbed a lot of enemies and his right hand was now hurting a little, but the worst was still to come.

A loud buzzing sound came to their ears from downhill. There, coming out of the lowest entrance of the nest, stood a truly gigantic and fearsome female humanoid rat, clad in a red armor from head to toes. At least twice the size of her strongest warriors, a real mountain of flesh, she had claws as long as swords and three tails as large and solid as tree trunks were slashing the ground behind her. Her mouth sported immense orange fangs and around her neck was a collar made out of various skulls. She held a huge battle axe in her left hand and a long whip in the other. Flying above her was the wind witch Kagura, a weird smile on her mouth, and beside her was a baboon-clad Naraku puppet, surrounded by countless Hell Bees, and behind them countless other rat demons were coming out of the nest. However, those were different from the small fry they had been fighting against so far. None of them was shorter than Sesshomaru, and they were unbelievably muscular. Their incisors teeth appeared to be so overgrown that they surely were a nuisance while feeding, but apparently they weren't designed to eat and gnaw. Those rodents were the elite warriors of the Queen, and they would protect her with their lives. Sesshomaru, Kitana and Inuyasha were now caught between two formidable groups of enemies.

As he understood that his wind-tunnel was now useless because of the bees, Miroku turned to Sango.

"I will go uphill and try to eliminate the smaller rats. I still haven't used my ofudas and my staff could teach them a good lesson. Please go and seek Kagome, with Naraku's puppet here there is likely to be jewel shards, we need her on the battlefield!"

"But Miroku, I can't leave you with this many enemies around, you will be overwhelmed!"

"Don't worry for me my dear Sango, I will be okay, the rats are concentrating on the strongest of us, not on me. Beside you are too tired to continue fighting, but you can still guard and protect Shippo and Sesshomaru-sama's ward. Do it, Sango, now!"

Reluctantly, Sango directed Kirara near the top of the nest where Miroku jumped down. Returning to the skies, she took a look at him, with his deadly staff and swirling ofudas, and found he was indeed doing well on his own. She resigned herself to leave the battlefield and went for the campsite.

**SSSSS**

On the hill, Sesshomaru managed to join up with Kitana. Fighting by her side was difficult as her whipping tail prevented him to reach closer, but he needed to talk to her. Her eyes were almost totally black by now and he wanted her away from there, in safety. As the smaller rats became distracted by something happening uphill, he found an opening and grabbed her by an arm.

"You will get out of here!" he shouted, his voice almost inaudible in the general clamor.

Growling fiercely, she disengaged her arm from his grip and shook her head, then urged forward to impale a large warrior on the tip of her tail. She then jumped into the air, doing a flip and killing two others with a kick behind the head.

"Kitana!" he screamed this time, enraged at her lack of concern for her own safety and blatant disrespect to his stature and orders.

"I won't leave, Sesshomaru, forget about it! These creatures dared kidnap Rin and treated her like an animal, they will pay for it! I will make them pay!"

That being said, she left his side for good, advancing further in the enemies ranks. They were falling in great numbers around her, not realizing what was going on before being sent to the afterlife. But Sesshomaru was right in his assumptions; she was getting weaker and weaker as the battle raged around her. Even though the blows she received never pierced her armor, the aftershocks were hard to endure and her inner organs were suffering from it. Nonetheless, she disregarded that fact and kept on fighting, dismembering and disembowelling any rodent that approached her. Her victims were often still alive after her strikes, but in so much pain and terror that they were not in a state to fight anymore. Soon, the rats realized how dirty she was fighting and started to hesitate before coming at her, for they had to walk directly in their fallen comrades' pulsating innards to reach her. It was a mistake, as she took the opportunity to balance her tail blade at them, cutting open every rat standing in a circle around her.

Inuyasha was lower down the slope, furiously facing both the baboon-clad Naraku and the wind witch. Although he knew from its appearance that it was not the real one, his attacks were fiercely aimed at it; killing a mock-Naraku was an excellent way to pass time and vent up frustrations, after all. Dodging tentacles was something he was good at, and with a battle scream he engaged fully into the combat, sending blast after blast of Wind Scar right at the puppet's form.

Kagura was strangely not entirely committed to the fight, her eyes often straying from Inuyasha to the ebony female and the taiyoukai who were fighting higher up the hill. Inuyasha saw her distraction when she managed to accidentally cut through the puppet's tentacles instead of sending her blades to the red-clad hanyou, and he seized the opportunity to send a wave of Adamant Barrage right at her. Barely dodging the mortal attack, Kagura frowned and retreated higher up in the sky, taking the role of an observer instead; and her stance was not upon Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru was too angry against his partner to follow her. She wanted to fight her own battles, fine; he would allow her to do so. As long as she wasn't killed, he didn't care, or so he thought. He even wondered for a moment why he cared for her anyway; she was just a hindrance, an infuriating female devoid of any respect toward her higher. In a blast of Tokijin's energy, he cut his way through the ferocious rat warriors and in front of him appeared the Queen. She looked down at him with an arrogant smirk on her ugly face, and laughed out loud.

"Mmmm, attacking my home like that is not very wise! But if you insist on dying, I will gladly make your wish come true, little puppy! Come to me!"

With that, she lunged at him. She was unbelievably fast for her large size and Sesshomaru wasn't ready for that, but as always he leapt out of the way, keeping his stern composure while he studied his enemy.

"Hn. This Sesshomaru is no mere puppy. You will die."

She laughed and kept swinging her axe at him, and between two slashes her whip would lash out toward him viciously. Twice she almost caught one of his legs, but both times he was faster than her and jumped out of the way. Both of them were so fast that only blurs of white and red were discernable, but even then the Queen's warriors continuously tried to assault Sesshomaru while he fought their Queen. "Honorable fight" was not something known to rat demons apparently. Not faltering in his steps, Sesshomaru dispatched them one by one, sending them to their deaths with the energy blasts coming out of Tokijin, and returned his attention to the huge female.

**SSSSS**

Kagome was done helping the children clean themselves at the hot spring. They were both tired and hungry, and Shippo would sport his dark eyes and bruises for some days, but that was all. When she finished helping Rin to put on a fresh kimono that Jaken took inside Ah-Un saddle pouch, her attention was caught by Shippo's excited shouts.

"Look, Kagome, look! Isn't it Sango and Kirara? I wonder what they are doing here!"

Looking up where he was pointing his finger, Kagome recognized her friend who was now quickly descending toward her. Sango's face was worn out and she was more dragging Hiraikotsu than carrying it, the huge, bloodied weapon harmlessly hanging beside Kirara's flank. As they touched the ground, she stumbled while getting off of her fire cat.

"Sango, you are exhausted! What happened? Did something go wrong?"

Breathing deeply, Sango calmed her friend.

"It's all right, Kagome, don't worry. I just need a little rest, that's all. The others need your help though," she said while catching her breath.

"Why, what happened? I thought they said they would do fine without me!" she said, surprised. Then a frown marred her features as she added "Inuyasha, the prick! He better not be injured!"

Sango smiled upon seeing her friend's wrath.

"It's nothing like that Kagome. What we think is the Queen of the rats has come out alongside Naraku's puppet and stronger warriors. The fight is heating up, and Inuyasha will need your ability to locate jewel shards if he wants to defeat the Queen. Go, Kirara will carry you. I will stay with the kids and prepare some of your food for them," she said with a smile.

Kagome smiled back, a fierce fire burning in her eyes.

"All right Sango, take care of them. I'm going."

While her form diminished, outlined by the almost setting sun, Jaken couldn't help himself.

"That's what happens with filthy hanyous, they can't fend for themselves and are always in need of help from stronger demons or dirty humans, ah!"

He should have thought better though with Sango around as his ranting ended up with a huge bump on his head from the Hiraikotsu. The small youkai had silently rejoiced when Rin had come out of the nest unscathed and as much as he wanted to let out tears of joy, he couldn't do so in front of his master's enemies so he swallowed them up, tending to the child's needs instead. Yes, he thought, he should take example from his master, showing his concern through acts rather than words. Now, he was too hurt to think about anything else than his pain and had to run and grab Ah-Un's tail when the steed took the demon slayer to the air, carrying the woman and the children to the campsite below the hill, away from the bubbling hot spring. At least now that he was wounded he could let his tears flow freely without passing for a wimp.

**SSSSS**

The sight that caught Kagome's eyes when she reached the battlefield was terrifying. Rats were swarming everywhere, almost engulfing her friends in waves of fur, tails and teeth. No matter how hard she thought about it they never had to fight that many powerful enemies at the same time before in the past.

She could see Kitana valiantly fighting off very huge and heavily armed warriors not far from the canyon on the northern side of the nest. She managed to kill a few of them, but they were strong and cunning and Kagome could see that she was getting surrounded. Miroku was on the very top of the hill, butchering and knocking out the smaller, animalistic rat demons; further down the slope, Inuyasha was engaged in a battle against a puppet of Naraku in his baboon pelt. Not far from him, Sesshomaru was displaying all his warrior skills in a heated fight against the ugliest caricature of a rat that Kagome had ever seen. None of the brothers was doing very well, they were not heavily wounded but as they tried to fight their main target, they were treacherously attacked on all sides by the same enormous rats that Kitana was having a go at further away. Smaller rodents were swarming amongst their larger and more powerful kin, but even if they were small they were still a hindrance to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, gripping their clothes and ankles whenever they could. Furthermore, no matter how many they killed, more were coming out of the nest to replace them. Kagome wished she still had some arrows to help her friends and their unlikely ally. However, she did not, so she would have to help in another way.

"Sesshomaru!" she shouted from atop Kirara. The fire cat tried to come as close as possible to the taiyoukai, but the queen's whip was too dangerous a weapon to approach further. She did not wait for the arrogant youkai to answer her back, nor to even cast a look at her, before continuing. "The shards are in her wrists! In her wrists!" she screamed, hoping her voice would carry over the battlefield to his ears.

Sesshomaru understood perfectly well though, as did the Queen. Her attacks became even more savage now that her foe knew were her strength resided, and her speed was matched only by Sesshomaru's own. Both of them were going at each other with all they got, the blasts from Tokijin being reflected by the giant axe and the whiplashes catching nothing but air. Then, in one expert gesture, Sesshomaru feigned to blast her once again with his sword. He took advantage of the defensive posture of the queen to pass under the axe, sever her right arm and catch the hand and wrist with his pelt, then throwing it toward the fire cat that was still flying over his head.

Kagome was not prepared for this and a loud "Eeeeeekk" came out of her when she saw the thing that she instinctively caught when Sesshomaru threw it her way. An impatient, bone-chilling look from Sesshomaru down below stopped her panic though, and grinding her teeth she plunged her hand in the severed flesh to pull out the jewel shards that were embedded there.

The Queen had gone berserk. With her right hand gone, she was not going to win this fight and she knew it. She summoned her best warriors and stood back while they jumped at Sesshomaru all at once, in an overwhelming attack.

**SSSSS**

The battle was raging on the northern side of the hill, just beside the canyon. Kitana was absolutely exhausted and her enemies sensed it, becoming even fiercer in their attacks. Furthermore, they now knew her patterns of attack and were becoming experts at dodging her strikes. She was not in a good situation, fighting exposed on a hill against multiple enemies was not something she was good at. How she wished she was still underground, stalking them as preys and taking them out one by one, feasting upon them and savouring their energy that was not far below Sesshomaru's own formidable youki; but this thought vanished quickly under their unrelenting attacks. She was desperate for a meal or even just rest, but it was a luxury she couldn't afford at the moment. Jumping on a boulder higher than the rats' head, hoping for a small respite before resuming her fight, her eyes caught the sight of Sesshomaru being massively taken over by dozens of strong warriors, the Queen laughing at him heartily. Without thinking, she let anger take over and summoned what was left of her powers, sending a destroying wave of energy toward the offending rodents.

Sesshomaru was surprised to see his opponents falter in their steps, grabbing their chests or abdomen and going down in bouts of seizures, blood dripping from their eyes, noses and ears. He knew where this was coming from and it irritated him to no end to know that his companion thought he was too weak to defend himself. His main foe, though, knew nothing about the symptoms of her warriors and he seized the opportunity. Powerfully jumping out of the dying mass of rats, he reached her and before she had the time to realize what was happening, her left hand was cut down. In an enraged scream strong enough to tear eardrums, she called forth all of her army which was still waiting underground. As Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks under the ear-splitting sound, a group of four Hell Bees caught the amputated limb and flew away with it. The queen started to laugh madly as her beloved hoards of demons emerged from the many entrances as well as from the ground itself, taking their attackers by surprise.

The warriors around Kitana's boulder did not believe their chance when they saw her stop moving and focus on something other than them. Now was their chance at revenge. As the golden glow left her eyes, she took one second to look at the results of her attack; it was one second too much. Two of the gigantic rats jumped right at her with a great strength and speed, and together the three of them tumbled on the ground until they reached the canyon.

And they fell over the ledge.

Downhill, Sesshomaru saw the drama that was unfolding right before his very eyes. Sheathing his bloody sword, he shouted a strong "Noooo" and leapt forward as fast as he could, leaving the bleeding Queen and the battle scene behind. He arrived an instant too late and his momentum carried him over the ledge after Kitana. As he saw her and the rats being engulfed in the flow of lava, he let out a scream of his own that became a deafening roar, bouncing on the stone walls of the canyon to come out and reach his enemies who froze in fear. It gave an opening to Inuyasha who managed to hit Naraku's puppet full on with an Adamant Barrage, obliterating the thing, and it distracted the smaller rats atop the hill long enough for Miroku to leave the fight and join Kagome on Kirara's back.

As the roar died on his lips and the lava approached, Sesshomaru's face changed. An elongated snout took the place of his handsome features, his teeth turned into lethal fangs and he grew to his large demonic form. A blast of youki underneath his three legs stopped his fall and propelled him upward. His companion's death would be avenged in blood.

**SSSSS**

Now safely standing atop the nearby cliff, Kagome, Miroku and Kirara couldn't help but watch the terrible scene happening on the hill. Kitana's fall into the lava had shaken them, making tears appear at Kagome's eyes and giving an opportunity to the monk to hold her firmly in his arms. But the appearance of the fully transformed Sesshomaru stilled Miroku, who had never yet encountered this awesome creature, and seeing him wreaking havoc on the rats was such a sight to behold that he forgot all his lecherous thoughts.

The battlefield was now similar to hell itself, or maybe even worse. The multitude of rats emerging from the ground made a moving curtain of glittering brown fur set on fire by the illumination of setting sun. Inuyasha kept destroying them with his Wind Scar, but one dead rat was replaced by three live one, all of them fresh and ready to fight. Kirara came to him, and the hanyou reluctantly took the wise decision of leaving the battle to his half-brother. As far as he could tell all of his friends were safe and sound, Naraku's puppet was destroyed and even Kagura, acting more strangely than ever for her, left the scene when Sesshomaru transformed, as if she had seen what she needed to see. His friends alive were what matter the most. After all, if his bastard half-brother could die tonight out of stubbornness, it would be one more reason to celebrate. He joined his friends atop the high cliff to look at what was now a huge bloodbath.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was so overwhelmed by his fury that he almost lost his mind. His sharp fangs were decimating the rats while his huge paws were crushing them. However, they were so numerous that killing them all was an impossible feat but his mind could not process that fact. His fur was coated in his enemies' blood up to the shoulders, and soon his own blood was added to the mix. More and more rats escalated his limbs to stick their swords and fangs into him, his precarious three-legged posture preventing him from striking at them in return. Pain did nothing but fuel his rage, and he continued fighting with all his might in a hopeless fight.

**SSSSS**

Heat. Pulsing, pure white heat that licked her and blinded her and burned her and fed her. Fed her. The heat entered her through her clothes and skin, filling up every cell of her with an intense desire to burn and burst and explode. The heat was a living creature, talking to her, singing to her, and her mind and soul happily listened to the sweet, intoxicating melody and started to sing in unison.

Unnoticed by anyone, the river of lava that circled the nest and flowed underneath it started to behave strangely. The liquid fire was erupting in bubbles, breaking the black crust of solidified magma, and the level of the red river started to slowly rise at the bottom of the canyon. As it did, the nude rats inside the nest started to panic and spread the words of a terrible catastrophe to the upper levels. They did their best to evacuate the nursing mothers, or at least some of their pups, but when they left the breeding chamber with their precious charges, the lava caught up with them, silencing them forever.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was going mad. In his frenzied mind, he had to destroy everything before him but now, instead of coming to him, his enemies were running away. Some consciousness came back to his mind and he realized that they were not really running from him, but from the nest itself. Then, right before his eyes, the ground all around the foot of the hill crumbled into a huge fissure, stopping the rodents in their tentative for escape. A confused growl left his canine lips when a hot wind blew on his face and he saw an aggressive, orange glow coming from the crevasse, rivalling with the setting sun for the strength of its light and winning easily.

He spun around to see if the phenomenon was happening at other places and he observed that the whole hill was now encircled by the river of magma, similar to an island sitting in a pool of lava. His red, furious eyes caught a strange movement in the lava from the northern canyon and as he took a closer look, his terrible jaws started to open by themselves. Blinking and opening his eyes wider and wider, he was astonished by what he saw.

A column of lava was rising from the river, in a continuous flow of black melting rocks and orange and white liquid minerals. Atop this unlikely column was a well-known ebony silhouette, with her head reversed to look at the blackened sky and her arms fully extended on each of her sides. The lava flow was following her arms and creating wing-like appendages that darkened at the tips as the colder temperature of the air chilled the substance. Her lower body was completely engulfed in the column of liquid fire.

As he took in the impossible sight that was before him, Kitana's head was brought back to her natural position and she looked straight at him, her eyes burning with the same madness that was driving him moments ago. The sounds of the screaming rats, crumbling ground and hissing magma should not have allowed it, but Sesshomaru could have sworn that he heard her talking to him. Then the meaning of the words permeated him, and as he distinctly heard the words "Leave now!" his body reacted instinctively. In a powerful jump, he left the hill.

It was about time. As Kitana ordered the lava to rise inside the nest, burning all the rats that were too slow to flee, the live ones frantically used their youki to propel them forward through the ground, making it crumble completely under their combined efforts. When Sesshomaru jumped, the ground collapsed underneath his feet and a mass of arms, legs, whiskers and rounded ears, both furred and bare, reached the surface. They only had the time to take a breath of fresh air before the hill crumbled and lava started to consummate them. Terrible screams of agony filled the evening air. The Queen herself, the mad conductor of this orchestra from Hell was engulfed in the boiling substance, adding her voice to the ones of her kin. They did not last long however and were soon replaced by an unnatural silence, but these screams were now imprinted forever in the memories of the humans, demons and hanyou that survived that epic fight.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 19**

Kitana was slowly coming back to her senses. Somehow, she was lying beside a bright, hot campfire and the heat of the day had been replaced by the cool air of the night. Multiple sources of heat were scattered around the fire, bright red, yellow and white silhouettes against the blackish-blue background of the rocks and ground.

She tried to open up her eyes, but that tiny movement brought her terrible waves of pain. Gritting her teeth, she tried once again and succeeded, only to be blinded by the light of the fire.

As her eyes adjusted to the level of light, she finally distinguished Rin and Shippo curled up together next to her, asleep, then the priestess on the other side of them. The demon slayer was just further away, and then the monk; all of them were sleeping soundly. She felt the heat of a body over her head, and she assumed it was Inuyasha, keeping watch on the highest branch of a dead tree.

Satisfied to see that everything was peaceful around her, with the kids returned exactly where they belonged, she turned her attention to herself; her body was terribly aching from the previous battles and was in dire need of care and time to heal. The internal wounds from the fight against the water dragon had yet to mend themselves and most had been reopened while battling against the rats, while other brand new injuries had appeared after taking sword blows from the rodent warriors. Her bones and muscles hurt so much it was as if lava was circulating inside of them. She had a scalding feeling inside of her abdomen and thorax, where her organs had been almost pulverized by the numerous, deadly blows that she received. When she tried to move, the pain increased a hundred folds, radiating from each broken or fissured bone, each torn muscle and ligament, each inch of bruised skin. She thanked her luck for having found the symbiotic organism all these years ago; for without it she would have died a thousand deaths on the battle field and this particular one would have been the worse of them all. How she managed to overcome her enemies she had no idea, only remembering a brief feeling of falling and then nothingness. It was certain though, that without her particular body armour, her skin would have burst under the pressure of the blows and she would have bled to death, bringing down many enemies with her but dying nonetheless.

As she grew accustomed to it, the pain subsided a little, just enough for her to feel the terrible hunger that was howling inside of her. Her eyes shot wide open under the sensation and a moan escaped her lips; she had rarely been so hungry and so weak, and those were not good memories at all. She fought hard against the need to feed, trying to bring her focus back upon her surroundings instead of dwelling any further inside herself. It was then that she realized that someone had put a comfortable blanket over her; a very soft, furry blanket. Turning her eyes toward the so soft blanket and studying its texture and appearance for an instant, she then realized her position and came face to face with the owner of the fur that covered her.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was pleased to see her waking up. When the nest had been completely brought down into the lava pool, the madness that filled his companion's face receded and she fell on her side on the molten ground, unconscious. He had wasted no time to reach her, transforming back into his preferred humanoid form and braving the heat to grab her by the arm before she sank once again into the heart of the volcano. He brought her to the camp that way, for the lava that coated her body prevented him from holding her any better, and she had been sleeping during all the celebrations; if one could call the reunion that followed the battle a celebration.

The kids and the humans were completely exhausted. His ward managed to greet him as happily as she could but he felt her falling asleep while she held his leg in a weak grip.

"Jaken, tend to Rin."

These were the only words he pronounced for all the evening. As his retainer detached the sleepy child from his leg and brought her to her blanket, he placed Kitana on the ground before him, as delicately as he could with one hand and warm magma sticking to her legs and lower body. He then observed the campsite. His ward and the fox child had already been fed, as far as he could tell, and the others were opening weird crispy packages that held rectangular bars of food. Water was divided between everyone and he declined his part with a snobbish "Hn". Inuyasha was obviously ignoring him, and if he had not been so concerned about the well-being of Kitana, he would have made the hanyou pay for that offense. Instead, he sat beside his companion and watched as each of the fighters were going asleep. Decidedly, these people were committed at ignoring him. As they all fell asleep, he found another reason to be irritated; his fur pelt had moved on its own will to cover Kitana's form, snaking under her head to create a lush and comfortable pillow. If it was not from his annoying half-brother observing the scene from above, he would have sighed.

A wave of relief washed over him when Kitana awoke from her slumber. The night had just fallen and when her eyes met with his own, he saw only a reflect of his own face on a completely black surface. The more he looked, the more he could see his brows frowning and his eyes reducing to mere slits.

Kitana blinked twice, and then pushed with her right hand to come in a sitting position, moaning in pain when her arm gave up under her weight. As she fell back on her side, Sesshomaru's fur coiled around her and broke her fall, helping her to straighten up and sit. Then, it unwrapped entirely from her body and the cool air of the night made her shiver in discomfort. Looking back at Sesshomaru, she saw that his anger was giving way to genuine concern. She also noticed how strongly his inner energy called forth her hunger, as did every member of the group. Extending her senses, she discovered that she could feel the presence of every tiny insect for miles around, their energy acting as beacons of lights. Unfortunately, there was nothing but insects and small mammals and birds for as far as she could sense, with the exception of the ones she considered her friends. Talking in a low tone not to awaken anyone, she addressed Sesshomaru with a smile.

"I am glad to see you. If I am right, the battle ended well?"

"Indeed," he answered with a nod.

"Then, if you don't mind, I will go to the hot spring up there," she said pointing at the top of the small hill. Looking at the dark crust of hardened lava that stuck to the bones of her tail and ankles, she added "I need some tidying up". She sensed the heat that was coming from the hot spring and knew it would benefit her to be immerged in there for a while. Another nod acknowledged her words and she tried to rise, doing her best to hide her pain. Sesshomaru was not fooled though and he raised as well, his fur once again acting as support for her. Groaning, she grabbed the armor on his left shoulder, intent on getting up despite the agonizing pain that coursed through every part of her body.

"I am such a weakling. I'm sorry."

"Hn. Weak enough to engulf thousands of demons in a river of flame."

Embarrassed, she looked away and shifted her weight under her, trying to see how her legs would cope with her weight on them. She cringed when she felt her left one give up underneath her, and then the fur coils tightened on her left side, effectively supporting her.

"Tell me more… A river of flames?"

He looked at her thoughtfully before taking a step forward, making sure that she could follow him.

"You have no memories of what you did?"

Sesshomaru's questioning brought doubts and fears into her mind, and even though she did not answer verbally the look of dread on her features was a clear enough answer for the taiyoukai.

"You fell in the lava. Moments later, you came back in a rather impressive way, controlling the magma and ordering it to flood the nest."

They were now halfway up the slope, Kitana trying her best to concentrate on Sesshomaru's voice rather than his life energy; being on the move helped a lot though, as every jolt of pain caused by her movements buried her hunger away. When they were far enough from the group of sleeping travellers, looking straight at her, he spoke again.

"Your eyes. They are completely black now. Just as they were –"

"I know," she interrupted him harshly. "I know," she added in a more hushed tone. He helped her to climb the rocks that were surrounding the water and looked at the contentment that reached her face as she immerged herself in the water.

"You don't have to worry about that," she added. With a frown, he answered.

"This Sesshomaru is not worried." He breathed slowly, not sure if he should speak his mind or not. "Only concerned."

"Then do not concern yourself. Everything will be fine. You can leave me now, I'll be okay."

He gave her an intense look before turning back to the camp. Then, he heard her speak again, in a very low voice difficult to discern from the bubbling and hissing of the sulphuric water.

"Sesshomaru, thanks for bringing me back from there. And for having faith in me."

Puzzled, he was about to turn around and question her, for he never mentioned how she was brought back to the camp; he pondered the thought and decided against it. This girl had keen instincts, and somehow she just knew.

**SSSSS**

A deep, welcomed relief came to Kitana when Sesshomaru finally descended down the slope, away from the hot spring; away from her hunger, from the blood-thirsty predator that she was becoming now. Closing her eyes and slowly breathing the hot, moist air of the volcanic spring, she tried to focus on something else, on anything but her needs, but she failed miserably. Even with her eyes closed, even with her thermal vision blinded by the heat coming from the water, her inner eye could still follow every step, every movement that Sesshomaru made for he was like a beacon of light at this precise moment. His energy radiated everywhere, surpassing that of the hanyou, and casting shadows around him that obscured the spiritual energy of the monk and priestess.

A growl escaped her lips when she found out how her thighs were tensing, how her claws were gripping the rocks underneath the water, in preparation for the chase, the ultimate pursuit that would bring her such a rewarding meal. She immersed herself entirely, massaging her tense muscles, trying to feed upon the energy of the hot water like she temporarily did with the lava. To no avail. Silently, invisibly, slightly acidic tears came to her eyes.

**SSSSS**

Leaning against the dead tree in the center of the camp, Sesshomaru was perplexed. This creature was infuriating, yet at the same time he felt compelled to protect her, much like what he felt for Rin. Months ago, if he had killed her when he had a first glimpse of her real nature, he would not be faced with such abnormal feelings now. The worst part was that he was not sure if this would have been a good thing or a bad thing.

A consequence of Kitana's arrival that he knew he did not like at all was that she seemed to like the proximity with his half-brother and his band of humans. He loathed them more than ever, the hanyou in particular, and some day he would be glad to end his life. Rin liked them too, but the child he could control easily. He only had to turn his back to them and walk away and she would leave their side to follow him. Kitana on the other hand, was not under his control, as much as he hated to admit it. In the not so distant past, he would never have tolerated something as unpredictable as her in his vicinity. Now that she was there, somehow worming her way through the armor that protected and silenced his heart, he found that he didn't care so much about her disobedience. He saw how ready he was to ignore his own feelings and to give up his prerogatives to accommodate her, if only it could keep her by his side. Deep down inside he knew that he could not break her or make her comply with his wishes and even if he could, Kitana would not be so interesting and intoxicating if she were a feminine version of Jaken or an adult version of Rin. No, he liked her the way she was, wild and untamed, just like him, and it would seem that if he wanted to keep her trust and company, he would have to tolerate the insufferable presence of humans and hanyou. From times to times at least.

What he was not ready to accept however, was the lack of control he had over his own body since her arrival. After his disastrous fight with his sibling at their father's grave a few years ago, he had never been coaxed into transforming into his true, huge canine form. He had always despised the demons who couldn't get a grip over their feelings and lost their humanoid shape as soon as their tempers rose a little, and being able to fight intense battles while in his humanoid form, sword in hand, was a pride to him. But in only a few days, not only once but twice he had let his bestial nature take the best of him. The first time was a conscious decision from himself in a difficult situation, but what happened at the nest was infuriating to him. When he saw Kitana tumbling toward the lava in fusion, he lost himself, literally. The multiple superficial wounds on his calves, thighs and forearm told him that he wreaked havoc amongst the rats in his blind fury, and they tried to retaliate in vain. But until she came back and told him to leave, his mind was like the one of a wild animal and he could recall nothing but a hazy, red-stained fog that clouded his judgment and obscured his memory. However much he despised himself for his lost of control, he knew all too well that if he were placed in the same situation again, he would transform again. Why did she have such an effect on him?

After a moment of meditation, something brought him back to reality. Attentive to his surroundings, listening to the calm breaths of the sleeping humans, it took him a moment to understand that what disturbed him was the sound of splashing water. Frowning, he rose and raced to the hot spring, where the noises were coming from.

A disturbing scene appeared to him when he reached the peak of the hill and he faltered for a few instants, not understanding what he was witnessing.

Ignoring her injuries, Kitana was standing up in the middle of the shallow steaming pool. She had removed all her clothing except for her golden collar and her nude skin was reflecting the light of the stars and moon. Her toned muscles, finely outlined, were tense as she was frantically rubbing the skin of her arms. Then, she ducked underwater and came back out, desperately rubbing her head this time; her attitude was completely wrong. There he was, standing in plain view less than twelve feet from her nude form and she did not react to his presence at all. Tilting his head to the side, he finally saw what was disturbing her so much.

Upon her flawless skin, a fine pinkish film was depositing and she was trying all she could to remove it. When she finally cleaned an area of her body and started working on another, the film quickly came back, oozing from her own body and creating some kind of a second skin. She was in a panic, and if he was right in his assumptions, he understood why; for what was trying to cover her skin was extremely similar to the cocoon in which she slept for centuries.

In a jump he joined her in the water. He grabbed her shivering body by the left shoulder when he saw that she wasn't paying attention to him at all, and was relieved when her black eyes met his own.

"What is the meaning of this, woman?" he asked harshly. He could clearly see now the heavy, silent tears that littered her cheeks. She hissed and shook her head, trying to speak, and then turned her gaze toward the shoulder he was holding. He followed her eyes.

His hand was now half-covered in the slick, slimy pink goo. With an aggressive growl, he removed it, rinsed it and brought it back to the said shoulder, removing as much of the stuff as he could. Then he turned her around, seeing that she hadn't been able to cleanse her back at all and the stuff was starting to dry there. While Kitana worked on her breasts and abdomen, he peeled the thick pink crust that had formed on her nape, back and spine. At least it was easy to remove, but it came back so fast that their combined efforts were barely slowing the progression of the developing cocoon.

When he saw that their efforts were vain, Sesshomaru faced her again but in his voice, anger was replaced by worry.

"Kitana, you have to tell This Sesshomaru: how can we stop that? There must be a way!"

She averted her eyes to the side and he had to hold her chin up with his hand to force her to look at him. Then, in a trembling voice, she answered.

"It's… It's a cocoon, I am entering stasis. My energies are too depleted; my body is forcing me to rest." She blinked and more tears fell down from her eyes. "I will just… sleep… for a while." Her tone was resigned, but he was not.

"This Sesshomaru won't tolerate that. If it is energy that you need, then we will find you something to eat." He straightened up and calmly scented the air, trying to smell something beside the sulphurous emanations of the hot spring and the nearby active volcano.

"There is nothing, Sesshomaru. The rats have killed everything worth eating, and the rest just fled after the eruption."

She was right, beside the occupants of the campsite which she would certainly refuse to use as food, he could detect no living presence around them. He looked at her solemnly, taking into account how fast she was loosing her battle against whatever was trying to engulf her, and took his decision. He seized her by the waist and sat cross-legged on a half-submerged rock, bringing her in his lap in the movement.

"Then you will feed on This Sesshomaru."

Her eyes opened widely and she pushed against him as strongly as she could, which gave no results. Her heavily damaged muscles were nothing compared to the strength of the youkai, who simply tightened his fur pelt around her and waited for her to end her tantrum. He let her turn around and face him though, sitting on his left thigh, his now drenched fur pelt supporting her.

"I won't do that. Never!" she hissed furiously through her bared fangs, more panicked than ever.

His eyes never leaving her own, he brought his wrist to his mouth and bit deeply, opening a wide wound that started to bleed profusely.

"No! You don't understand, I can't do that! It will, it will just, _**Sesshomaru no!**_"

It was too late. He brought his open wrist close to her mouth and his crimson blood covered her lips. The bloodlust was too strong to resist, and mindlessly she grabbed his arm with her hands and started sucking avidly. Tears were now flowing freely from her eyes, mixing up with the blood and stinging his flesh, and as she sank her teeth in his wrist to reopen the quickly closing wound, pleasure came to him.

At first he felt a comforting wave of happiness that reminded him of the joys of his early childhood. His head fell on his back as a moan left his lips. He was now in a pure bliss, the pressure of her lips on his skin bringing up small electric shocks that travelled throughout his body. Kitana took another sip before allowing the wound to close, and then she turned to him and took his head between her hands. His golden eyes, filled with pleasure, opened to meet her black ones and a soft murmur reached his ears.

"Somehow you will have to stop me, Sesshomaru; or you will die."

She leaned toward his face and kissed him on the lips for a short instant, making his eyes shot wide open, before descending further down on his neck and kissing him again, right at the junction of his collar bone and neck muscles. Shivers travelled on his skin and he put his hand on her slime-covered waist, feeling the muscles tense underneath her skin. Then she bit him, deeply, tearing off the muscles and opening up the jugular vein. This would be a grand meal.

Under her fangs, he almost lost control. For an instant his eyes shot red and winds of youki engulfed them, but as pleasure came to him again, his demonic nature calmed down and he appreciated the delights of the moment. She was so beautiful. Despite the disgusting presence of the cocoon, her skin was soft and supple under his palm, much more so than her protective bodysuit would lead one to believe. He started a slow rhythm with his hand, caressing her down to the base of her tail, then up again to a mere inch of her left breast, in slow, repetitive movements. In a haze, he noticed how the light of the moon and stars reflected on the multiples drops of water that rolled on her, creating a surreal effect. Interestingly, as she sucked in more of his blood, the pink pellicle on her skin was peeling away easily and none seemed to be produced again.

He craved to touch more of her, to feel her toned thighs and butt cheeks, to palpate her firm breasts, to go further down where the center of her pleasure lied, but he didn't dare. There was the gnawing feeling in his mind that what was happening between them at this precise moment, this intense passion he felt circulating between each other, was nothing but an artificial side-effect of allowing her to feed on him and so he refrained his desires. After all, he had witnessed the arousal of the tiger youkai she fed from in the meadow and it was not born from sexual desire. He also knew deep inside that Kitana somehow preferred women and refused the touch of men; he would never understand but he respected her too much to make an indecent gesture that he would come to regret.

Even though he denied himself the right to fully appreciate the moment, he couldn't miss her own timid explorations of his body and the sensations it brought him. He was clearly feeling the pressure of her lips and the tickling sensation of her tongue on his neck, the slow, back-and-forth movements of her hips on his thigh, her legs opening slightly to allow her a more complete contact with him. He shivered as her left hand started caressing his right cheek in slow, sensual movements. Her tail was brushing against his legs, between them, higher and higher. Her right hand held his neck to her mouth, but as he relaxed under her touch and stopped resisting, her fingers started to stroke his nape, to massage his scalp, to play with his hairs. If he didn't know she had such sharp claws, he couldn't have told as she was very cautious not to hurt him more than necessary.

Highly sensitive to the emotions of others, Kitana was in a state of arousal similar to Sesshomaru, but confusion filled her mind. She had always taken pleasure when sustaining herself on a prey, but like this? Never. Never with a male, that is, and that was confusing her totally. Her logical side told her that in her frenzy she was probably having difficulties differentiating her own feelings from Sesshomaru's ones; it was the curse of the empaths, some of them even loosing their minds under that perpetual onslaught of foreign feelings, but her body disregarded that well known fact and chose to act on its own. Her hips treacherously started to move, black thighs rubbing against silk clad thighs, her tail fully elevated to the side. She ached to remove the cold armor that stood between them for she craved the contact with his hard, sculpted masculine chest. She resorted to caress what little skin was available to her, on the nape of his neck and on his face.

A low growl of bliss rolled in his abdomen, creating a purr-like sound that vibrated through her, sending bolts of pleasure deep inside of her. Sucking intensively on the wound that she kept from healing with occasional bites, her hand left his face to reach further down her back, where Sesshomaru was fondling her. She put her hand on his wrist and climbed up along his forearm, snaking her hand inside his sleeve up to his strong biceps and triceps.

His body reacted in a purely masculine fashion as he felt his neither regions swelling in an erection. The restraint of his armor was uncomfortable for his now hardening member but he cared about nothing of that; he was not even conscious of what was happening to him. The only thing he knew was that he was experiencing something totally new to his senses, and novelty was rare for a being as long-lived as he was. He took everything she had to give, every shiver of passion that she created in his body, every inch of skin he could caress and play with, every sensation from her sharp teeth and soft tongue, everything.

His hand reached slightly underneath the base of her tail and a shockwave of pleasure travelled through his whole body, mimicking the effect the contact had on his partner. As he danced on the edge of a dangerous knife, it took only a moan from Kitana's mouth to send him over as it reverberated inside the muscles and bones of his neck down to his very core. His hold over her waist increased in strength and he plastered her strongly against his armor as he came, his semen filling up his pants before being washed up by the volcanic waters in heated convulsions. His clouded mind did not even register that trivial fact as the pleasure overcame him instead of receding after his climax, continuing to increase in a mind-blowing way. Then, the visions came to him.

Kitana felt and shared the blazing pleasure of the taiyoukai, her body bucking wildly under strong tremors. The visions of Sesshomaru's less than glorious past started to fill her mind, but she didn't care about them. Amazingly, the taiyoukai was so powerful that she wouldn't need to kill him and endure all the unpleasant things his mind wanted to share with her. As she was about to let go of his healing throat, his right hand came up to her shoulder and weakly pushed her back. His eyes shot open, looking at her in a strangely intense way, before his hand finally snaked around her back and pulled her tightly against him. Sesshomaru was exhausted by the loss of blood, but something in the visions he received brought him partially back to consciousness, before he fell asleep. Kitana wondered about that, but the comfort of his embrace, with his fur pelt protecting her against the metallic spikes of his armor, won over her hesitations. She closed her eyes, pressing her face in the neck of her companion, her right arm sliding behind his neck and her left one on his biceps, and she fell asleep.

**SSSSS**

The rising sun brought life into the camp. The sleepy humans awoke one by one, their weariness gone thanks to the good night of sleep. Even Inuyasha had finally succumbed to slumber and was surprised when the rays of sun brought him back to consciousness.

Kagome and Sango were already at work, trying to revive the fire with whatever wood was left from the previous night.

"Miroku, Inuyasha, good morning!" the miko exclaimed happily. As they both answered back with sleepy voices, she asked them a favor. "Could you please go and see if you can catch something we could eat for breakfast, a rabbit or bird or even some roots? We have not much food left and I'm afraid we will have to fast until we get out of this desert plain."

Miroku and Inuyasha looked at each other, already aware that they wouldn't find anything, but everyone had to do some efforts for the wellbeing of the group. They were about to leave when the grumpy voice of Jaken reached their ears.

"As if this good-for-nothing of a hanyou and this perverted monk could find food! Rin would soon die of starvation if she had to count on you. I will go and I will bring food back," he said while Miroku was holding on Inuyasha's arm.

"Let me go, Miroku! This pesky little toad will learn respect! I can't take it anymore!"

The monk waited for Jaken to go away, mounted on the two-headed dragon, to release his companion.

"Don't you see, Inuyasha, that the youkai will save us a fruitless walk in the desert? Who knows, maybe he will find something from the air that we would have missed!" he added, elbowing the hanyou who just crossed his arm and sat on the ground, sulking.

"Yeah, Inuyasha, let the toad go," added a sleepy Shippo, delicately rubbing one of his blackened eyes. "Maybe Miroku is right and he will come back with food, and maybe he will get loss and we won't see him ever again!"

When he let go of his eye, he found a tiny girl with a dishevelled ponytail on her head right in front of him, her fists upon her hips and her eyes angry.

"Shippo, you should not be mean to Master Jaken! He tries to help don't you see? It will probably turn bad and Lord Sesshomaru will have to punish him, but at least let him try!"

It was Shippo's turn now to sit cross-legged, sulking in a good imitation of Inuyasha's posture.

"Shippo, Rin, please don't fight. Why don't you accompany Inuyasha and Miroku, we need more wood anyway and who knows if you could find something to eat! That would be nice, especially if Jaken comes back empty-handed."

Rin's laughter filled the small valley when Shippo turned into a personification of a Jaken-with-a-fox-tail and the two of them went with a resigned Inuyasha and Miroku, looking for roots or edible animals or plants. Sango had already taken Kagome's kettle and both headed for the spring, hopping maybe to have the time to bath before the guys came back.

"It's a shame that I did not brought enough bottles for water from home, but once cool that sulphuric water is not so bad. I hope they will find something to eat though, we are on the last couple of cups of ramen you know."

Sango nodded, not too concerned about the lack of food as they would get out of this desert by mid-afternoon if everything went well. As they ascended the hill, she voiced out a question that was on her mind since they woke up.

"Where do you think that Kitana and Sesshomaru went, Kagome?"

"I don't know, Sango. I guess they went patrolling when they saw that Inuyasha was sleeping. They are both so protective of the little Rin."

"Or they are sleeping together in the hot spring."

Kagome gave a weird look to her friend, who had stopped walking.

"Really Sango, it's not like you to say things like that."

"Kagome, they really are sleeping together in the hot spring. Look!" she added, pointing ahead of them.

Both girls blushed fiercely as they looked toward what Sango was pointing at.

The two occupants of the spring were fast asleep, immersed up to the waist in the steamy waters. Sesshomaru was lying against the rocky sides of the pool, his silver hairs gracefully falling along the rocks down to the ground. In a sharp contrast, Kitana's black form was seated on his left thigh, her head snuggling his neck and her right arm encircling his shoulders. Sesshomaru's head was tilted to the left, leaning on Kitana's forehead.

Sango pulled on Kagome's sleeve, hard.

"Kagome, let's leave."

"Sango, wait! What if someone else found them? Like Inuyasha? Or worse, Shippo, or Rin? We have to wake them up!"

"No way, he is going to kill us if he finds us here! Let's go!"

"Sango, no! Anyway we need the water and with Kitana there he will not harm us. Come!"

"No! Have you forgotten how he changed into a giant dog, Kagome? Miroku told me. He is frightening enough like he is; I don't want him to get angry at us!"

"Don't be a fool Sango, he wouldn't transform just for the two of us."

"Are you saying that he would kill us straight away?"

"Not at all! I told you, with Kitana there, we are safe!"

"I don't trust her more than I trust him Kagome!"

The bickering girls had forgotten that the beings in the pool were both highly trained warriors. Alerted by the voices, they awakened and detected the two friends who were strongly arguing a little further down the slope. Opening their eyes, they discovered the indignity of their position. Kitana looked down and with a touch to the jewel on her neck, she let her clothes expand all over her to cover her up. Her tiara, belt, pants, top, everything was back where it needed to be.

Sesshomaru waited for her to acknowledge him. He did not concern himself with the humans, not yet. They could wait. When her eyes, now their usual black with golden irises, met his own, he spoke.

"Are you feeling well?"

With a small smile, she answered. "Thanks to you. And you?"

Lifting an eyebrow, he said "It would take far more than that to affect This Sesshomaru's health."

"Well, you're the first guy who survived a whole night in my arms. That's a feat, you know!" she added with a smirk on her lips.

"Hn" was his answer. He removed his fur pelt from around her so she could rise, watching her as she removed the last remnants of the pink cocoon from her head and tail before he followed her. She flexed her arms and fisted her hands, satisfied that her injuries were now a thing of the past. She then turned to face him, and her tone was less challenging, more humble, when she spoke.

"You honored me immensely, Sesshomaru-sama, by sharing your life energy with me. This gift will not go to waste, and I assure you that I will never let it happen again. I swear it on my very life. You trust was not misplaced."

He nodded once and left the pool.

**SSSSS**

"See, Sango? He still wears his clothes, and even his armor is on! Nothing could have happened", Kagome said in triumph to her friend who was completely red, turned toward the camp.

Sango took a deep breath before turning to look at the spring, her kettle in hands. Immediately she turned back, redder than ever.

"What? What is it again?" she the young priestess, crossing her arms and tapping the ground with a foot.

"He is coming this way! And he wears white silk, Kagome! Wet white silk!"

As she realized what her friend had said, Kagome froze. Sesshomaru was walking casually toward them and the camp in very drenched clothes. His fur pelt was as its usual place around his right shoulder, but looked nothing like the glorious ornament it was usually, more like a dead and sorry thing soaked in water. Nervously, she smiled and waved with a hand.

"Hi there, Sesshomaru-sama! I hope you had a good night!" Sango's elbow nudged her in the ribs. "I mean, I hope you slept well!" That time, Sango's foot crushed Kagome's foot underneath it. "I mean, err.."

At these words, Sesshomaru's youki flared around him, his eyes taking on a slightly crimson color at the edges, and his hairs and pelt furiously moving under the waves of power he emitted. Both girls were completely glued on their spot, a cold sweat running on their foreheads and down their spines.

When the taiyoukai met with them, his youki receded, leaving perfectly dry hairs, clothes and fur behind. He walked right between the girls, ignoring them royally, and then continued down the slope.

Sesshomaru was gone and they were still alive. Kagome started to breathe again, and then looked at Sango.

"Well, we might as well get this water, don't we Sango?"

Reaching the pool, they saw a weird pink substance floating about here and there. Taking a piece of it between her fingers, Kagome made a disgusted face.

"Hey girls, better not touch that. I… have been sick during the night and I threw up everywhere."

Kagome paled and quickly let go of the pink cocoon piece.

"Yuk! You mean, you threw that up? You should have been very sick then!" she said, wiping her hand on her skirt.

"Hmm."

"Is that why Sesshomaru was here with you?" asked Sango.

"Hmm. Yes. I got in there because I was so cold, but I almost drowned myself. He heard me and kinda save me…"

"Well, I am glad you feel better! I feel silly, for a moment Sango and I just thought that you two had, you know, sex and all and for the best of me I just couldn't imagine Sesshomaru doing… that, it's just so not like him, he he, you see? And especially since you don't do that with men! I am glad; it's not something I like to imagine first thing in the morning! So now better get back to camp, this water will stay right where it is, it will! I still have some left from yesterday that I was keeping for the road back" said Kagome in one breath, blushing.

Sango was blushing too, and Kitana would have been if she could.

"Yes, you imagine silly things Kagome. Let's go to the camp. I want to see how Shippo and Rin are doing this morning," added Kitana.

Their conversation drifted to the kids and slowly they all came back to camp.

**SSSSS**

Down the hill, Sesshomaru paused, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. It was not a common emotion for him so he looked around for a cause and found nothing. His clothes and pelt were dry and he was all alone near the dead campfire. No, there wasn't any cause for embarrassment, so he dismissed the feeling with a shrug.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 20**

"Sesshomaru-sama! Kitana-sama! Look what Rin caught!"

Just as the three girls arrived in the camp, so did a very excited Rin, followed by a sulking Shippo and two laughing boys. Sesshomaru was graciously seated upon a large, flat rock at the periphery of the place, his fur pelt and hairs creating a white halo similar to a cloud around his body. His face was as blank as usual, but for a moment, he felt an intense desire to laugh out loud. Which he did not.

"Rin, that's so great! You caught it all by yourself?" said Kitana, laughing her heart out.

"It's not fair, I saw it first!" Shippo was not in a good mood, and with a reason. Both kids were dirty with mud, but as Rin only had her feet and hands muddy, Shippo was literally caked in the stuff. Rin had a large crayfish between her hands, already cleaned of all innards.

"Shippo, you can't catch crayfish by the tail or they nip you! You have to first grab the pincers or give them a stick to grab," patiently explained the young girl.

"Yeah, yeah, you told me that like a million times! But you know what, you should have told me _before_ that thing nipped me and threw me in the mud!

Now the whole camp was laughing, minus Sesshomaru. While Miroku placed the shellfish on a stick and restarted the fire, everyone listened to Rin's tale of how easier it was to fish in a dry river, for only some puddles of water were left and the animals couldn't get anywhere. Meanwhile Jaken came back empty-handed, but he was glad to receive his share of the crayfish even though he ranted all along about how shellfish have to be boiled not roasted.

Kagome did keep enough water to prepare the last cups of ramen that she hid from Inuyasha; although the kids would probably be the only ones to eat their fill on this morning, the rest of the travellers would have something to put their teeth on as well. As she boiled the water and distributed the steaming plastic cups all around the place, Kitana's curious eyes did not leave her once. When she got her hands on one of the cups, she couldn't refrain from asking about it.

"Kagome, tell me… Where does this bowl come from? And the bottles containing the water? They are… very foreign…"

Kagome took on an embarrassed look and gave a very forced laugh.

"Hehehe, yes they are from my birthplace. I come from some place, you know, and technology there is a little more… advanced?"

Kitana's gaze was putting a lot of pressure upon the girl. Kagome and all her friends emitted strong waves of worry and it intrigued Kitana to no end. She frowned, and pushed her a little further.

"Kagome, I… do not want to insult you, but I have travelled a lot in this land and I must say that this material is yet to be invented here. Even the ingredients used in its making are unknown here, let alone all the science needed to extract, purify and transform them. It will be a long time, maybe centuries, before anybody here would succeed in making such a thing. You must come from a very, very far away place," she ended, staring intently at Kagome.

Silence fell upon the group, only broken by the children laughter coming from the drying river. Everybody looked at each other carefully, evaluating their options. Of course they couldn't divulge Kagome's origins, but they had never met such an insistent youkai before; a youkai well-versed in the future technologies, it seemed. Miroku was puzzled; he was becoming more and more cautious of Kitana and her questions, and Inuyasha and Sango's natural hostility toward the ebony female only grew worse. Something was definitively not right with her and it disturbed them not to know what.

"Well, eh eh, it's just that, I come from far away, you couldn't have travelled there Kitana. Do not bother yourself with that and enjoy the meal!" answered a very uneasy Kagome.

Never leaving her face, Kitana's eyes were boring holes into Kagome's soul.

"Tell me, Kagome... From what world are you, exactly? Sirius, maybe, or Orion? And how did you get the authorization to come on a forbidden planet? Has the status of this planet been changed in the last centuries?"

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru was listening intently to the ongoing conversation. He did not care in the slightest about the origins of his half-brother's wench, but if humans from more advanced worlds had started to come to earth, it would have multiple implications for him, especially considering their weapons and their attitude toward youkai. The clumsy young priestess did not struck him as a dangerous being, and humans were nothing to him but a hindrance; except if they arrived here with the type of weapons that Kitana had experienced.

The rest of the group was totally silent, almost shocked. Sango was keeping her reserved attitude and Miroku and Kagome were openly flabbergasted, but Inuyasha almost fell off of his feet laughing his head out.

"Oi, you think she comes from another planet, don't you? Well, sometimes I wonder about it myself! What if she was a little green alien! E.-T. phone home!" said Inuyasha, laughing so hard he was almost crying.

"Well, how else can you explain your singularities? The technologies your birthplace has developed would have spread quickly all over the land if it truly existed here, yet there is no sign of this. So you brought it here from another world. The conclusion is simple."

"So this is why I didn't understand."

Everybody stilled, looking at Miroku who was deep in his thoughts.

"You are the one who is not from this world, Kitana-sama, aren't you?"

Kitana simply opened her mouth, not knowing what to say. She had not been very clever, how foolish of her. As she did not refute his affirmation, Miroku felt compelled to explain himself.

"You see, Kitana-sama, you have been a complete mystery for me since our first encounter," he said, stroking his chin between his fingers. "You do not have any discernable demonic aura, you are not bothered by my holy sutras and you are strong and powerful. Yet, you are kind to humans and youkai alike. The jewel shards have no effect on you. And now, you speak of other worlds as if their existence was obvious and well-known, which it is not. Kagome-sama was born in this world, but what about you?" he asked.

A pregnant silence fell on the group. Broken by a tiny girlish voice.

"Kitana-sama comes from the stars! She was flying amongst them, when she fell on earth and went to sleep in a cocoon for years and years! Rin was not even born when it happened! We met when Rin was very sick, and Kitana-sama healed Rin and then woke up and travelled with us!"

Kitana gathered the small child into her lap, smiling at her. Looking back at the stunned group, she spoke.

"Out of the mouths of babes comes the truth! Kagome," she said to a very puzzled girl, "I will tell you my story, but if you tell me yours afterwards. I give you my thrust, can you give me yours?" Kagome nodded slowly, eliciting a "feh" from Inuyasha, who then turned around to show them his back. Sango and Miroku looked at each other with worry in their eyes. Their friend's origin was important to keep secret for some people wouldn't resist questioning her about the things to come, or worse, the well could be destroyed.

"As odd as it may seem to you, Rin is saying the truth. I do come from a world beyond the stars, a place very far away. I arrived here by accident hundreds of years ago and I cannot go back. I met Sesshomaru and his group some months ago. I was awakened from a long slumber just after Rin finished healing from a disease that plagued her. So you are right, Miroku, I am not a youkai; I am... something else, that's all."

Miroku was deeply set in his thoughts, looking at Kitana with slit eyes. Sango, however, was not that patient. Frowning, she spoke.

"Tell me, how is it possible to live amongst stars? Everyone knows that stars are just the manifestation of dead spirits in the skies; no one can come from there. Are you a spirit?"

Kitana was awaiting such a question, but surprisingly it was Kagome who answered.

"You see Sango, in fact stars are just like our sun, except they are far away in the universe. The Earth just floats around the sun, and most other suns have planets similar to Earth around them. It has not been proven yet that there is life elsewhere in the universe, but it is highly probable. However," she added, frowning, "having a being from another planet here on Earth is... difficult to believe. If I remember well, the distance between here and the nearer solar system is so great that it would take centuries to travel this distance, even at a speed near the speed of light."

Kitana cocked her head to the side.

"You are right Kagome, you are right. Different ways of travelling have been developed, which included putting the travellers in a deep sleep so they wouldn't age while the ship travelled. However the most recent technologies allow the space to be... bended, in a way, so distances are shorter."

"Bending space? Wow, I would never have even imagined that to be possible! So you came here on a ship that could do that? Where is it?"

"My ship exploded as it crashed in the ocean." Lifting a brow, she added "so won't you tell me how you know that much? Even Sesshomaru wasn't as knowledgeable as you are about space and planets, even though he has had centuries to gain this information. Humans here do not know about such things…"

Kagome turned red, and stuttered "well, erh, you see..."

Kitana's gaze was trained on her, and suddenly Kagome gave up. There was no point in hiding from Kitana; so far she had proven to be trustworthy. Beside she didn't have to tell much about how she travels between eras, didn't she? Just that she did…

"I come from 500 years in the future. In my era, we have already built spaceships and we travelled to the moon. We know about the Earth being only a very small planet in the universe, part of a solar system and a galaxy."

Kitana did not know what to do. She was expecting a story about being an outlaw from space hiding on a forbidden planet to escape from death row, or maybe being born from parents who came from space. But the future? This was bordering insanity.

As she saw that Kitana had a hard time believing her explanation, Kagome added a little more information.

"You see, I am the reincarnation of a priestess of this era who was cremated with the Shikon jewel, as it was her duty to guard it. I was born with the jewel inside of me, and when I turned 15 years old I was dragged in the past by a demon who wanted to acquire the Shikon jewel. I ended up meeting Inuyasha, I accidentally shattered the jewel and then I decided I had to put it back together. Through our travels Inuyasha and I met with Shippo, Miroku, Sango and Kirara, so now we travel to gather all the jewel shards and to destroy Naraku, who is gathering the shards for himself. That's about it, I guess."

Kitana felt very clearly that Kagome was still uneasy about the subject of her origins, but she was not lying, that was the only thing that was clear to her.

"Urh… I… see. Talk about unexpected! A time traveller and a space traveller. Which one is the weirdest, I'm not sure, but eh who am I to judge?" she said with a smile in her voice. The implications of Kagome's confession were whirling in her mind, and she understood why the girl was so hesitant to speak about her origins. Most people would be enthralled to learn what was going to happen in the future, even though the danger of creating a time paradox came to her mind. Most people, including herself. She would have to decide if she wanted to keep the girl's friendship and budding faith, or learn more about what was to come; and it was not an easy choice.

Kagome smiled back at Kitana's attempt to decrease the tension that was in the air. Definitively, encounters with Kitana were never boring, she decided.

"Tell me Kagome, please… You said that in your time, 500 years in the future, men have gone to the moon… But they don't know how to travel over greater distances, don't they?" she asked hesitantly.

Kagome looked intently at Kitana, seeing a tiny reflect of hope in her strange eyes. She would have to disappoint her.

"No, nobody knows how," she answered. For a moment, nobody spoke. It was Miroku who broke the silence.

"You… Would you like to go back to where you come from, Kitana-sama?"

Kitana breathed slowly, looking at them all.

"I... don't really know, Miroku. I don't have anything to go back to. But sometimes, I feel like I would like to know that the choice is mine to make. Having no option available is never an interesting thing. Even if I would probably choose to stay here, I would like not to be obligated to…"

"Well, you see Kitana, I mean… We don't know how to go further into space, and even if we knew, the passage through time only allows me and Inuyasha to go through. You couldn't come to my time. I'm sorry, Kitana."

Kitana smiled, and shook her head.

"No problem, Kagome. Thanks for trusting me enough to share all this about you, I know now why you were so reticent to talk about it. I won't be the one to betray you, you can count on that. However if some day you feel like it, I would like to take a look at that passage through time. I've heard about such things, but never witnessed it myself."

Kagome uneasiness reached unexpected heights when she laughed and answered an uncertain "Why not…"

**SSSSS**

As the conversation took up less serious tones and everybody returned to their morning meal, chatting and laughing at the kids' antics all along, Kitana came to Sesshomaru's side. She had some things to explain to him before he discovered them by himself and hoped it wasn't too late. However, things did not go as planned when he turned around and spoke first, capturing her eyes in a death glare.

"You told them about your origins."

His eyes were trained on her and even though she had important matters to discuss with him, Kitana understood through his mixed-up feelings that Sesshomaru needed her attention.

"Well, not exactly. They merely know the basics. You heard what I say anyway, I was talking loud enough for you to hear."

"But still, you have enough faith in them to entrust them with the secret of your origins."

She looked at him carefully, trying to determine where he was going with his questioning. Sitting on the rock just in front of her, his golden gaze was boring through her soul like hot iron.

"They harbor no ill intent toward me, and besides I really wanted to know about Kagome's… particularities. It would have been awesome… if she had come from space." Her eyes left Sesshomaru's to peer at the stars through the tree's foliage.

Sesshomaru had effectively been listening to the campfire conversation and it irritated him to know that despite the way she was treated amongst the stars, Kitana still couldn't completely put that behind her and move on. In a way, she was implying that her life there was no worse than her life here on earth with him, and he couldn't accept that. Even if he did not outwardly admit that he cared for her, the numerous ways in which he recently helped her to stay alive were, to him at least, proof enough of his acceptance of her. He would like it if she acknowledged these facts, but he couldn't do so without bringing up his strangely growing attachment to her. He returned to the subject he had decided to address with her.

"Why did you make me see those things, Kitana?"

She froze, not expecting this question to arise at all.

"Well, what do you mean?"

"Last night, when you fed, you dragged This Sesshomaru into another nightmare of your creation. Much like you did before. I do not appreciate this. Why did you do that and what did I see?"

She became rigid and her tone of voice took cold accents he had never heard from her before.

"You probably saw visions of my past. Forgive me, for I wasn't really in control of myself last night and I didn't block my memories to you like I usually do. I'm sorry for it, but it's nothing really, only visions of my memories…"

"Unpleasant visions."

Rolling her eyes, she came to him and sat beside him on the rock, cross-legged.

"You know, most of my past life was unpleasant. Some pieces of it were even really nasty, and some rightfully horrifying. Be glad you only saw some unpleasant bits. Now please don't concern yourself with that, it means nothing. We have to talk about –"

"This Sesshomaru has been submitted to torture and rape and I should forget that?"

Upon hearing his angry words, she became totally still and silent. Swallowing, she answered.

"You were not, I was. You just relived it through my point of view, that's all. As I said, it is a long past memory that you will have to forget. There are more important things to –"

"I know perfectly well that you were the one subjected to this abominable treatment. What happened, who were they?"

She looked at him with a very angry, murderous look into her eyes.

"You know exactly what happened. I don't want to talk about that, ever. It is from a long gone past and I won't tolerate if you bring this subject up again. We –"

"Were you avenged for it?"

She stilled for a moment. Then, after casting a furious look toward him, she left him alone on his rock and joined the rest of the group, rage boiling inside of her.

**SSSSS**

A similar feeling was burning inside Sesshomaru. Those visions perturbed him greatly the night before, but it was now, while his mind was cleared of all weariness and white hot fury coursed through his veins, that he fully took in what he saw. He couldn't help but replay these images again and again in front of his eyes and each time, his rage grew stronger.

Just as bliss overcame him in the hot spring, his vision blurred and he was transported to another environment. Gone were the water and the night sky; he was lying on his back on a hard surface, a table he thought, in a brightly lit room. Strange contraptions were placed on the walls and on some shelves, but his attention was needed elsewhere. Men were holding him down by the ankles and legs, one even held his black, skeletal tail strongly. He was struggling all he could, but strangely these puny men were stronger than him. When his struggles became frantic, the laughing men let go of him and he thought he was free. How wrong was he. At that moment, an intense pain travelled through him, starting from his neck and invading every part of him. When the pain was gone, he tried to move and was shocked again, and again. And again. Until he couldn't move at all except for some seizures that randomly ran through him. The men came back to hold him down on the table once again, but this time they tore off his grey, linen-like clothing off of him, uncovering his body, his breasts, his abdomen. Then one of them, who appeared to be the leader, let go of his arm, laughing at him, and started abusing of him. Licking at his chest, biting his nipples, fondling between his legs with a hand, the guy's behavior was revolting. Sesshomaru did not have any strength left to resist, but the guy did a mistake. He tried to kiss him. In a flash, a second set of jaws erupted from his mouth and destroyed the palate of the human male. A second strike got him right in the forehead, creating a nice, round hole through which brain and blood started oozing. The others reacted quickly though, shouting madly at him in a weird language that he understood but had never heard before and sending another terrible jolt through his body, a shock that seemed to last forever. When it ended, Sesshomaru's vision was blurred; all he could distinguish was weird red and yellow humanoid forms moving through a bluish room, with tidbits of warmer colors here and there. His muscles were not responding anymore and he felt some kind of goo starting to cover his body. Before coming back to consciousness in the hot spring, he felt one of the men grabbing him by the hips and penetrating him, raping him, and he heard a terrible scream. Then he came back to reality, tried to push away what he thought was his aggressor, before realizing it was only Kitana. He then secured his hold over her and fell into slumber.

Sesshomaru knew now that what he had gone through was in fact a vision coming from Kitana's past, were he took her place in a terrible scene. At first he thought she was intentionally showing that to him, torturing him for whatever reason he couldn't fathom, but her attitude when he confronted her was clear: she did not know that he saw that piece of her life and if given the choice, she would never have shared it with him. Even if he knew it happened centuries ago, he couldn't help the need to sink his claws in the throats and abdomen of these low-life creatures that dared commit such an unforgivable act on his… partner? Friend? Companion, yes, travelling companion.

He was confused also, for as he recalled those terrible scenes, he knew he should have felt rage but for whatever obscure reason he was also having fun. The kind of peaceful, serene fun Kitana was having beside the campfire as the fox kid demonstrated how good he was at magical tricks even without his toys. He was glad to see her leave the group to come to him; he could clarify what happened with her. But it did not go as planned, she did not want to explain and became downright furious at him, and him at her. Yes, all happiness left him when they talked. It was better that way, for he was not one who felt happy for nothing, but it felt… wrong, in a way.

**SSSSS**

Kagome had been packing her things, getting ready to go; Miroku had kept a thoughtful look on his face for most of the morning, and finally when Kagome gave her full backpack to Inuyasha in preparation for departure, he met Kitana's eyes and spoke his mind.

"Kitana-sama, would you be kind enough to answer a question that has been disturbing me all night long?"

Straightening up slowly on her rocky seat, Kitana finally nodded her consent. Whatever the monk had in mind, it was not displaced or perverted in any way for his mind was clear of these unwelcomed feelings.

"You showed us an amazing tracking ability in the previous days. By any chance, do you think you could use this gift to help us track down the vile Naraku and make him pay for his transgressions?"

The expression of the monk, full of hope and trust, was mimicked by everyone in the small circle of friends. Everyone but the dog brothers. Inuyasha was frowning at her, his arms crossed over his chest and Kagome's backpack at his feet. Kitana felt his distrust and jealousy very strongly, and understood perfectly well why he was feeling that way. After all, he had been the team's tracker for years now without results, and wasn't about to willingly give up his place.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was wary of what she would say. While he was good at looking disinterested in the whole situation, as usual, he was highly attentive to the conversation. Kitana felt his disagreement with Miroku's demand, and this dissension was born from a strong protective feeling toward her that she had felt growing stronger in the past few days. Clearly he had not been impressed by the side-effects of her days of tracking, and the last thing he wanted was to see her repeat her performance.

Sighing, she answered the monk and shattered his hope shamelessly.

"I'm sorry, Miroku, but I am afraid that's not something possible. I succeeded at locating Rin and Shippo only because I know Rin's energy signature exceptionally well, as I lived with her for the past few months. I couldn't have done that for Shippo had he been by himself, let alone Naraku. I never met that monster in person; I wouldn't know what to look for, like a hound with too many scents to follow. I am not able to help you on that one, sorry."

"Feh, I would recognize the bastard's stench amongst thousands of others. I just wished he would be a little less careful about not letting his scent go on the wind… But no matter what we will get him, and he will pay for all this."

For once, Kitana was in agreement with Inuyasha's bluntly stated words. She nodded, and smiled at him.

"I surely hope so, Inuyasha. With you guys on his trail, he won't be able to hide for long. Setting up this trap had surely been a lot of work for him, it only means he desperately wants you out of the picture. It means you frighten him, guys. Keep going and you'll get him."

Surprised, Inuyasha looked at her for a moment, and then nodded sternly.

"Time to go, everyone. There is surely a village somewhere around here with food and water for us, and maybe information about youkai attacks. It has been a pleasure to fight alongside you, Kitana-sama. We are thankful for your help in recovering young Shippo, and Rin!" said the monk with a smile.

"Hey, there's no time left to visit villages! I have a math test in about four days if I am right, so we need to hurry to the well!"

"Feh, Kagome, a math test when you can't even count days? The damned test is in three days, so you see, it's too late already. Better spend this time hunting Naraku down!"

"What, three days? No way!"

Sighing at the quarrel that was starting amongst the group of travellers, Kitana turned around and walked toward her own companions. Rin was already mounted upon Ah-Un and Jaken was, for once, grabbing Sesshomaru's pelt in preparation of departure. Jumping onto the steed behind the young girl, who looked at her with a beaming smile, Kitana turned around to look at the unlikely allies arguing at the campsite, and waved them goodbye as Sango looked her way. She and the monk waved back, as well as the fox child, while Inuyasha kissed the dirt for the first time this day. Then the second time.

**SSSSS**

Kitana felt ashamed of herself. For the many hours that they spent flying above first the deserted plains, then the forest, she had been ruminating over her earlier conversation with the taiyoukai and found no way to fault him. He wanted to know if she had been avenged. This final comment clearly showed that his anger was directed toward her aggressors and not toward herself for giving him these visions.

But it was not his anger or his insisting that pushed her away from him. Not even the subject they were talking about, not so much anyway. No, she felt something else coming from Sesshomaru, an emotion that she may have sensed before but that was very weak, elusive, and she was not prepared for that. His protectiveness, his possessiveness toward her were born from a deeper feeling, a feeling that he was probably not even aware of, something akin to attachment, or even… love. She felt that a growing physical desire was accompanying this affection, and she did not want to face that. Not from Sesshomaru, not at this point.

What mystified her most though, was her own reaction to it. Had she felt that from him months ago, she would have simply disappeared, deserting him and his unwelcomed feelings. That was who she was, how she acted. Now however, the answer wasn't so simple anymore. She was attached to him, to his aloof and disdainful attitude, his no-nonsense decisions, and his simple look on life. In a way, he was good for her, not only because he accepted her and knew her better than most people had in her life, but also because of whom, of what he was. He was also very skilled at ignoring his own emotional status, so skilled in fact that it was highly possible for him to bury his budding feelings for her deep inside of him, never acting upon them.

Knowing all that, she decided to stay by his side. She could not justify her anger at him anymore, for it was her who was confused and unsure, and she concluded that she had waited long enough and had to apologize. Plus, he ought to know what would happen to him now that he had shared his life energy with her, and he would be quite confused if she couldn't go over her resentment and explain him.

Sesshomaru himself, even though he was flying ahead of his group with as much assurance and confidence as he usually did, was not feeling right. His anger of the morning had subsided and somehow what he was feeling now was more similar to... guilt, than anger. Guilt, confusion, maybe even fear. He was not one to feel that way, it simply never happened to him, and he couldn't determine why in hell he would be submitted to such chaotic emotions. Was it Kitana's presence that made him more sensible, or the kidnapping his ward has been victim of while he should have been there to prevent it, he didn't know. But he did not like it one bit. Emotions were a hindrance to a taiyoukai such as him. A little before nightfall, when the sounds of the forest changed to give way to the creatures of the night, Sesshomaru led his group toward a peaceful clearing of the forest, where small fruits and mushroom grew in numbers. Rin needed to feed upon something more consistent than ramen and half a crayfish, and this was a good place to sleep for the night. The rest would benefit him too, for his mind in ebullition was giving him no peace.

When they hit the ground, the young Rin started looking for roots, mushrooms and edible herbs, stacking them beside the small fire Jaken lit up. Kitana even brought down for her a bird's nest full of fresh eggs, which she gathered happily.

After their meal, the human girl and the kappa settled for the night, one curled under her blanket, the other against Ah-Un large flank. The herbivore beast had rejoiced when they had entered the forest, as the days in the deserted plains had forced him to fast or to try eating some dried leaves and herbs, which were not suitable food for a beast such as him. When the breathing of everyone became calm, betraying their slumber, Kitana gathered her courage and joined Sesshomaru on his side of the dying fire. She sat at his left, cross-legged, and broke the silence.

"Sesshomaru, I, erm... I want to apologize to you for my attitude, this morning. You were not responsible for the vision you received."

The taiyoukai blinked and simply turned his eyes toward her, without moving his head at all. Of course he was not responsible; she was a lunatic if she ever thought that way.

"They all died by my hand. Each and every one of them. It happened when I was very young, we didn't know about my... needs, nutrition-wise, so I was also very weak. They were my trainers in close-combat, the second in command to my master and his men, and their aggression was so violent it sent me into stasis. After their vile acts, I slept in a cocoon for the first time of my life for about a year, drained of all my energy. When I awakened, they were still on the ship, doing their jobs like nothing happened. I learned that the one who raped me died moments later. He had been brutal and wounded me, tearing up my skin. You can imagine the rest."

Sesshomaru's attention now was fully on her. He wasn't expecting Kitana to speak about his vision again, and in a way, even though he should not care at all he was honored to be the recipient of that confession. Encouraged by his silence, Kitana went on.

"I waited. For the best opportunity. My life was at stake if I killed these men openly, and even though I was not better than a slave, I did not want to be brought down by them. I acted as if I was amnesic, and they believed it." A soft, sad laugh escaped her lips. "The fools. The instant they put their guard down, I was on them. I shot down the surveillance, put them all to sleep with my poison, and used the ventilation tunnels to bring them all to my favorite little Alien friends. The Queen was happy to see the fine specimens I brought to her, and her drones quickly took them from me. I made sure they did a thorough job on them, not wanting anyone to find them screaming the next morning. And it worked. They each received an egg, and I was there when they came back to their senses. I wanted them to know who had put them there, and in what deep shit they were now. I will always remember their panicked eyes, their screams muffled by the resin the Matriarch's workers put in their mouth when the chestbursters started to push against their ribcage. I cherish this memory."

She had said it. This guy definitively had a twist to bring out her most dirty secrets, she thought. It was hard for her to think about that, about her debut in being an assassin, for it was not something normal people generally accepted. Even her beloved Jess had never been in on this secret. She had always thought that Kitana was forced to kill, first by her masters, then by her biological needs, and finally by their common desire for revenge. Kitana shuddered thinking about what would have been Jess' reaction if she had known how much she loved tracking and killing living beings. At first it had been imposed to her, when she was young, but quickly her instincts surfaced and she had always been ashamed of this taste for murder. For the first time ever, there was someone in her life with whom she could be honest with and this was a revelation. Sesshomaru was a killer himself, not having the slightest hesitation or regret when it came to kill humans or youkai, and he would not shun her for what she was.

His voice brought her back to reality.

"You also had visions while you… fed."

Kitana was not prepared for this question at all. Part of her was still caught in her past, and another part was anxiously wondering how she would bring the subject that was on her mind, so she was caught totally by surprise by his affirmation-like question.

"Erm, well, yes, I have." His inquisitive glance, accompanied by a small frown, was enough to communicate that he would not contempt himself with such an answer.

"I just… learned… how you lost your arm… and how… you met Rin. That's all."

He nodded again, and returned his gaze to the night sky. Now that his mind was at ease, he could rest.

"There is also…"

Frowning slightly, he turned back to her. What else did she saw that she was so hesitant to talk about?

"Another vision?"

"No, I remember nothing else. But there is…"

She sighed.

"A link was formed between us last night. It will not last for long; you don't have to worry about that! But I figured I had to tell you about it."

His frown was now deeper.

"What sort of link?"

It was her turn to admire the night sky and the stars.

"It's nothing much. You have already experienced its effects and it doesn't seem to affect you. It's just that… you will be able to feel the emotions I feel for the following days. Or weeks, I don't know for sure. It's not an exact science."

One elegant silver brow shut up under his bangs.

"This Sesshomaru does not care about something as trivial as emotions."

Smirking, she continued.

"Maybe, maybe not. The important thing to know is that at times it will be difficult to tell your own feelings from mine, especially when we feel the same about something. It may just amplify-"

"Kitana, do not concern yourself. This Sesshomaru is perfectly able to deal with emotions, be they mine or yours. My training was extensive in this area."

She held both hands in front of her in a sign of defeat.

"All right, all right, I'm glad you take it so well. You are a big boy after all, you should be able to deal with that... by yourself." She yawned and jumped up a tree, lying on her side on a low branch. "Good night Sesshomaru. See you tomorrow."

He looked at her while she fell asleep. That was the answer to his questions, the reason behind all the weird and new emotions he experienced that day. What a mesmerizing creature she was, able to transfer her own empathic abilities to another after what was after all nothing but a meal. Did she have to deal with the emotions of others at all times, like he did today with hers? It must be a nightmare. For an untrained creature, that is. Tuning out emotions had been ingrained into him from an early age, for enemies could easily take advantage of that in battle. A taiyoukai had to control and contain himself at all times, or else he could be killed in battle or turn into a creature similar to Inuyasha, fighting with his heart on his sleeve, being hurt and wounded all the time and loosing himself to his bestial side when he was overwhelmed by his emotionalism. Granted, so far the hanyou had survived his battles, but he wouldn't last forever. He, Sesshomaru, would make it sure.

Kitana's mind drifted away as she fell asleep. Before her eyes, the dreaded scene of aggression and rape kept replaying, before being replaced by the wonderful feeling she felt when she saw her reflect in the eyes of her aggressors, when she felt inside of her the sheer terror that overtook them when they realized what was happening. Then her first awakening from the stasis came to her dreaming mind, when a member of the cleaning crew touched her cocoon and was captured by the tendrils that fed her. It was followed by an attack against her while on a mission by a crew member who hated her kind, attack that quickly turned against the aggressor. It had been the first time ever she consciously tasted the energy of another being. She took her time, appreciating every gulp of warm blood that descended in her throat, before killing the man by ripping his throat apart. Then, it was her lover who appeared in her mind, the woman with whom she shared ten years of adventurous life before loosing her. She appeared as she was on their first night together, her intense eyes fixed upon her as she hissed in bliss under the more experienced woman's caresses. An instant of partial consciousness came back to her mind as she remembered the first time she took Jess' blood and the difficulty they have had to adjust to the new bond between the two of them, the disputes that followed, and then the heated reconciliation when they discovered the side-effects of that link. Then she fell asleep completely and her thoughts were lost under the peacefulness of the night sky.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 21**

Two days of travelling, by foot this time, carried Kitana and Sesshomaru closer to the Western land, a landscape that they both knew much better than the barren area they have been travelling with. On the morning of the third day, when Kitana awoke from her slumber, Sesshomaru was nowhere to be found. Opening her eyes, she discovered Rin and Jaken, occupied at preparing Ah-Un for leaving the camp.

"Jaken, do you know where Sesshomaru is?"

Eyes reduced to slits, the retainer answered bitterly.

"_Lord_ Sesshomaru comes and goes as he pleases, a lowly servant is not supposed to inquire about the Lord whereabouts, a servant is asked to wait loyally for his master's return!"

"Well, in that case, I'll let you wait and see by myself what he is up to. Ah-Un and you are going to take good care of Rin, isn't it, Jaken?"

Eyes now menacing to pop out of his head, Jaken replied.

"Why you! I am not a babysitter you know, I am Jaken, retainer of his Highness Lord Sesshomaru! I am his most trusted advisor!"

"Kitana-sama, you don't have to worry. Master Jaken takes real good care of Rin, and Rin takes real good care of master Jaken. We are used to wait for Sesshomaru-sama, but he always return! If you want to go find him, then go, but don't forget to come back too!" said the smiling child.

"Caring for a human child, oh how low have you fallen Jaken, how low..."

With a wink directed to a giggling Rin, Kitana left. She sensed the presence of Sesshomaru somewhere near the camp, reasonably close, and immobile. She departed quickly, running and using the trees as jumping boards. About five minutes later, he came into view, standing graciously on a rocky ledge overlooking a green forest. The mountainous area where they found the rats' nest continued up here, but was now covered by vegetation, and valleys and hills were everywhere around them. The taiyoukai was breathing deeply, carefully sifting through the different scents that composed the air.

**SSSSS**

Unfortunately for Kitana, Sesshomaru wanted nothing to do with her on this beautiful morning. The taiyoukai had spent the last three days silently cursing her and the new link that had formed between them, and he would rather have tea with Jaken and Rin decorating him with flowers than spend more time with his female companion. Her ever changing emotions had proven hard to ignore during the day, but thanks to his tremendous control over himself and his deep knowledge of what constituted his normal reactions, he managed not to humiliate himself by giggling at Rin's antics or rolling on the floor laughing whenever Jaken was kicked or maimed in any way.

The problem was totally different at night though, as if Kitana herself was exerting a control over her own emotions during the day, but lost it completely under the spell of sleep. Her feelings were much stronger when she was sleeping, and absolutely different from what he knew of her, from what he felt from her during the waking hours. For three nights, he received wave after wave of unwelcomed feelings from her, most of them being totally inappropriate. Was she an anomaly, or was it really possible for a female to be so full of lust and desire? On the first night, after a couple of minutes spent sensing her ravenous appetites and her bloodlust, he left the camp, resolved not to let this link unsettle him. He soon found out that it would be harder than he thought, for distance didn't seem to deafen the connection. Days later, as the sun rose at the horizon, he was on edge, ready to lash out at something, anything.

**SSSSS**

"Hey, what's going on? Something in the air?" Kitana asked casually as she walked by the taiyoukai, wary of his darkened temper. While she did so, she also surveyed what was just under the ledge; yet to be seen, two energy signatures strong enough to belong to demons were swiftly ascending the slope toward them.

Sesshomaru didn't answer her casual salutation. Instead, he flexed his claws in a menacing way before turning and going down the slope, heading directly for the energies she sensed earlier. Puzzled and slightly insulted by his ignorance of her, Kitana followed after him.

Halfway down the path, the demons she felt appeared to her. Two males, of what species she couldn't tell, were running up the hill. One of them sported a white spike of hairs and wore nothing but chain armor and a fur pelt around his hips. The other one was short-haired, with silver hairs too but sporting a dark grey stripe above his forehead; this one wore mostly furs.

Upon seeing Sesshomaru, both demons stopped dead in their tracks and knelt on the ground, shaking as if the sky had fallen upon them. Scrutinizing Sesshomaru's bored expression, Kitana waited curiously for what was to come. Was Sesshomaru after these weird-looking demons?

Panting, the youkai with the spiked hair raised his head and spoke.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Please forgive us for disturbing you; it appears we have mistaken your scent for Inuyasha's!"

Sesshomaru lost his platonic expression and frowned, raising his right hand, about to let his poison whip terminate the life of the insolent youkai who dared liken him to his loathed sibling. To his utmost irritation though, Kitana arrogantly stepped between the wolf and him, her back turned to him, thus saving the life of the lowly creatures.

"What do you want with Inuyasha?"

The two wolves sat on their haunches, studying the strange woman they had never met before. She had a stern, hostile look on her face and was blatantly ignoring the threat of the powerful dog youkai standing behind her. The wolves had not really mistaken the great taiyoukai for the hanyou; Inuyasha's scent was definitely upon him, along with their sister's scent and the rest of their pack, faint but present nonetheless. However the older brother had never been known to be kind to the hanyou or to his friends, and was in a class of demons so untouchable that even their leader would be in danger was he to face the Lord, so the demon spoke with hesitations to these beings who could very well end up being enemies.

"We ran into one of Naraku's incarnations not far from here and our leader, Kouga, is fighting with the thing at this moment. We believe he has some jewel shards and thought that our sister could sense them for us, her scent was in the air this morning."

Upon hearing these words, Sesshomaru's bored expression came back, and he went round the wolves to continue his descent down the hill. Kitana did not pay him any attention, for what the wolves said had aroused her curiosity.

"Your sister?" asked Kitana, puzzled.

"Yes, Kagome, sister of the Eastern wolf tribe."

"I see. Well, I think Lord Sesshomaru is after this Naraku you speak about, so your leader might receive some help after all..." She looked at Sesshomaru's back, who was going further and further away from them, entering the woods at the foot of the hill. The only feelings she could sense emanating from him were an intense irritation and a hint of what was probably her own curiosity, reflected back at her through their link. "Or not..."

Her attention returning to the wolves, she did her best to calm their anxiety; as far as she knew, they were not lying and she had no reason to act against friends of Kagome.

"Inuyasha and Kagome are far from here, it might take you days to reach them. I'll follow Sesshomaru; I want to know what will happen. Why don't you come? Your Kouga would certainly like having his companions with him in this fight, wouldn't he?"

She then took off after Sesshomaru, decided to see the end of it. The still panting and puzzled wolves looked at each other, then reluctantly followed suit. They were not great fighters despite what they would want others to believe, and Inuyasha's scent had given them hope in a desperate situation. Now, however, they weren't sure about their future anymore.

Sprinting amongst the tree, it was not long before Kitana caught up with the taiyoukai.

"Care to enlighten me, _oh my Lord_? What the hell is going on with you?"

Sesshomaru, walking casually amongst the tree, spared her an aggressive side look. Her playful curiosity and her confusion were in total contradiction with his mood, and he did not want to be distracted from his task.

"Naraku's horrible scent was on the wind this morning, for a short moment. However, the wind turned and the track was lost. Those wolves might have resolved this issue."

That being said, he urged forward, following an invisible path through the woods. As they reached the outskirts of a human village, he stopped, his moves mirrored by the onyx creature. Ahead of them, Kitana could feel the energy of a strong being, a demon for sure. There was another demonic one, weaker than the first, and one that was very hard to define, as if it was in perpetual change... Sesshomaru, his gaze fixed upon the houses, spoke to her.

"You shall not interfere. This fight is not your fight."

Then he was gone. Sighing, Kitana followed slowly after him, heading toward the village. He said nothing about not looking, did he? And she had never been good at listening to orders, anyway. So she followed, climbing the side of a house to reach the roof, hoping to gain a better viewing point, curious to finally meet the dreaded Naraku.

The village was dead. Corpses left to rot everywhere gave up an unpleasant smell of decay and death. Sesshomaru headed toward the small central place, where he could smell both Naraku's scent and that of the wolf leader, who was still alive if he could judge by the curses and shouts that reached his ears. He ignored the panting and whining of the two underlings who were now reaching the first empty houses; those were cowards not worth the value of the pelts they were wearing.

Both companions reached the central place at the same time, one on the roofs, and one on the ground. Their reactions to what was ahead of them however, were different. The taiyoukai gave a disdainful look to the small boy with a spear who was standing on the ground, surrounded by a strong barrier, before setting his bored gaze upon the larger, white creature that was fighting with the wolf. Kitana, on the other hand, was much more interested in the boy than in the fight itself. This small child-like being was harboring so much energy that it was hard to believe he was really what he seemed to be. She had learned that youkai could be cunning creatures, and disguising as a child seemed like a distasteful, but very possible thing to do for a youkai. Was this boy the terrible Naraku everyone talked so much about? Or was it the tall, expressionless white figure with its shifting, changing energy?

Approaching the fight, Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword. The exhausted wolf was having a hard time with the tall creature, which was doing its best to get at his legs. Multiple pieces of pale flesh were littered everywhere on the ground, but they were moving and pulsating suspiciously. The taiyoukai addressed the being.

"The wolves were right; you are merely despicable detachments from Naraku's body. I shall dispose of you quickly."

The small child did not even bother turning his eyes to face Sesshomaru; his attention was kept fixated on the fight before him.

"Kukuku! I am Hakudoshi, and this is Moryoumaru, not a mere detachment. But, do as you please, Sesshomaru-sama. You are in for a surprise, though!"

Suddenly, the child fiercely attacked the taiyoukai. The strikes from his long spear were fast and furious, but he found his match in the person of Sesshomaru. Tokijin singed its song of death as a blast of energy was sent right toward the small figure of the young boy, who would have taken the full strength of the blast if it wasn't for the barrier around him.

"Really, Sesshomaru-sama, for a being that Naraku wanted so much to absorb, you appear quite weak to me. A blast of energy, eh? Tell me, have you ever tasted your own medicine?"

On these words, the barrier around him reacted and a strong lightning-like energy blast was sent hurling to Sesshomaru, who simply side-stepped it. The blast ended up on the ground, making an explosion that sent dirt and rocks flying everywhere. Following the flight of a larger rock, Hakudoshi saw other beings looking at them, the two weaker wolves from earlier, and another creature. Scrutinizing the black figure that was blatantly looking at them from the rooftops, as if the fight was nothing but a mere entertainment, a flash of recognition passed in the child's eyes.

"Moryoumaru! Leave the wolf alone, you could always take his shards afterwards. Naraku wants this creature more than anything else! Go after her, now!"

He was interrupted by a furious Sesshomaru, who attacked his barrier with multiple physical strikes from the Tokijin. The child dodged them all and laughed as he witnessed his creation turning toward the woman Naraku wanted so much. The taiyoukai could do nothing to stop him, Hakudoshi, and it pleased him a lot. Wanting to keep the game interesting, he started retaliating with his spear. Soon both fighters were nothing more than flashes of colors and light to the human eye, fighting with a speed and strength rarely matched on this ground.

Under Kitana's very eyes, the creature named Moryoumaru left the half-beaten wolf behind him to come toward her. Kitana couldn't believe it, what had she done to be the target of so many attacks in such a short length of time? According to Sesshomaru, these two were not even the real Naraku, so why this obsession with her? It just wasn't healthy.

Kouga, momentarily left alone, gathered his bearings and jumped at the back of the creature, striking deep in its flesh with his claws. The soft white flesh only separated under his blow and quickly reformed around his hands, forcing him to push out with his legs. White jelly-like tendrils grabbed him by the legs then, and seemingly unaware of that fact, the creature continued toward Kitana without faltering, not caring about the wolf that was being absorbed into its back.

"You bastard! Fight like a real man, not like some jellyfish, it isn't honorable!" screamed the angry wolf youkai. With a stronger push, he freed himself from his enemy, who was now totally ignoring him, and took a closer look at the newcomers. The dog youkai he could replace as Inuyasha's sibling, but he had never seen anything like the black female, who was perched on a roof just like a… sitting duck. What was she doing, he thought?

Kitana didn't want to hinder Sesshomaru in his fight; it was obvious to her that he desperately needed to vent his aggression on these enemies. However she would not let such a weird thing hurt her down, and after the showdown at the rat's nest she wasn't in the mood for a fight. Sighing, she concentrated her energies and looked intensely at her attacker with shining golden eyes; eyes that soon lost their sheen and opened up widely in surprise.

Kouga couldn't believe it. Was this female stupid, or what? The freakish jelly youkai that he had been fighting moments before was coming straight at her, and yet all she managed to do was look at it? Did she think that her looks could kill?

He was about to jump to her help when suddenly she disappeared from her spot, letting the monster destroy the roof of the house with a swipe from his huge hand. Kouga blinked once, then twice, and found her right beside him, looking at him with a concerned frown on her face.

"Youkai, you should leave this place. Your friends are worried about you."

"What? You think I'm the one here in need of rescue? I-"

His phrase was cut short when another attack by Moryoumaru came his way. He was so distracted by the female's words that he didn't saw the white tendrils and tentacles coming, and she had to push him out of the way. Him, a wolf youkai of his status, rescued by a mere woman, he couldn't believe it!

Kitana was annoyed by the wolf. He was clearly a very macho character, and the male pride that radiated around him made her sick. Furthermore, the result, or rather absence of result, of her energy attack on Moryoumaru unnerved her. She tried to make its heart and brain burst under her energy, to no avail. She was tired of fighting against dead or undead creatures, it was way too creepy. Adding to that the fact that the wolf's anger and Sesshomaru's rage were starting to rub off on her, cutting her patience furthermore, and it explained her reaction when the said taiyoukai appeared at her side, furious, crouching in preparation of bouncing toward Hakudoshi.

"This Sesshomaru told you not to intervene in this fight. Leave."

Her eyes glowed a deep flashing gold and a hiss escaped her lips. The wind, which was absent until now, started to blow strongly around her.

"What did you say?"

Moryoumaru, as soulless as he was, knew a good opening when he saw one. The offered back of the black female was an invitation to strike, and so he did.

Instants before the creature made contact with her, a very strong gush of wind pushed him away, as if he had hit a wall. He fell down on the ground and the houses behind him were blown away by the strength of the winds. Kouga was speechless, and Sesshomaru had to divide his attention between Kitana and an amused Hakudoshi.

"In case you didn't realize it, I was the one being attacked here! I did nothing to provoke this giant blob of jelly, and –" she sent another wind attack to the said blob, who this time disappeared under the rubbles that once were a set of three houses -" and he comes straight at me, unprovoked, and you have the nerve to come here and order me to leave? Well, let me tell you that I would really love to be anywhere else in the universe, right now. I'm tired of this place, tired of the monsters waiting behind every tree to have a go at me, tired of fighting fights I don't even understand! If it were only me, I would have been gone a long time ago. The one that needs convincing though is this thing, not me!"

That being said, she turned to face another attack from Moryoumaru. The last attack. Not even blinking as the whitish mounds of flesh that were previously scattered around the village gathered together at her feet and started climbing upon her, she took up Sesshomaru's aggressive feelings and let them merge with her own deadly emotions. Expertly, she turned all this hatred, all this fury into a whirling blast of energy that engulfed the flesh at her feet as well as the monster and the shattered remains of the houses in front of her in a barrage of flames.

"NO!"

The scream came from Hakudoshi. Panicked, the youkai child surged forward, desperately trying to save his creation from the inferno that was consuming it. At the last moment, he grabbed Moryoumaru by the hairs and with his spear cut his head off from the rest of his burning body. Sesshomaru reacted instantly and was on them in a flash, but Hakudoshi was faster. He reformed his barrier and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the scene.

Kouga, flabbergasted by her success against an enemy that gave him immense difficulties, was about to say something bitter to Kitana when Sesshomaru turned their way, his youki flaring around him in a very threatening way.

"This Sesshomaru had been very clear. How dare you take on my prey?" he asked with a growl.

Kitana bared her teeth at her companion, hissing, her inner jaw exposed through her parted teeth.

"You should have told them they were yours, not me. Clear your head Sesshomaru or I'll have to shake your eyes open! Don't you see I simply reacted to an unprovoked and unjustified attack?"

Unexpectedly, Sesshomaru lunged at her, poison dripping from his claws. She clumsily dodged the attack and the wolf, who was after all an expert at surviving, quickly moved out of the way. He joined his comrades who were waiting for him at the periphery of the destroyed village, hidden behind a crumbled wall.

The anger inside Kitana was so strong it was painful. It coursed in her body like a wild torrent, and resistance was futile, she had to give way to this rage or be engulfed in it. She spun on her heels and lashed her tail blade at Sesshomaru, who quickly blocked it with his now drawn Tokijin. He retaliated with a growl, and both of them became engaged in a battle of strength, speed and will that finished to destroy what was left of the village.

The wolves couldn't believe their eyes; the fight was so fast, they could only see the taiyoukai for short moments before he started moving again. His blows were so powerful that each of them resulted in thunderous sounds of metal scraping against rock and dust, sending parts of the demolished houses flying everywhere. Kitana was trying to take advantage of the ruins to dissimulate herself and attack by surprise, before hiding again; she was no match against such speed. Sesshomaru followed her so closely though than most of their battle was in the open. From their hiding spot, Hakkaku spoke to the others, coughing under the effect of the particles in the air.

"Hey Ginta, how come they are fighting like that? Weren't they travelling together when we met them, aren't they allies? They sure looked like it to me, after all he spared our lives when she intervened!"

"Hey, bro, how do you want me to know? All I know is she was damn efficient on that big white guy, she nearly destroyed it without even paying it any attention!"

"Hmm, she knew not to touch it, and she can control fire. I bet she wouldn't have been so brilliant had she been the first one to fight it, like I was!" said Kouga, arms crossed.

The two underlings looked at each other for a moment, sharing similar feelings of confusion and fear. In front of them, the battle was raging. Sesshomaru sent a powerful blast of evil energy toward Kitana with Tokijin while at the same time catching her by the waist with his fur pelt, and then throwing her against a half crumbled two story house.

Air left her lungs when she hit the wooden planks of the wall and broke them in half, and her momentum carried her in the middle of the house. Sesshomaru left her no time to react before attacking again, this time dissolving the two last beams that barely kept the house from collapsing. His Dokasu quickly ate through the thick wood and the chaos that followed was total. The large house seemed to implode, with its main support totally lost the thin walls couldn't take the pressure of the construction and collapsed in a cloud of dust and a deafening sound.

"Men, no way! How can she loose to him, she destroyed the huge thing and then this mangy dog gives her a beating!"

On these words from Kouga, Sesshomaru turned toward them, his narrowed eyes starting to take on a reddish coloration. The wolves tried to flee, Hakkaku and Ginta grabbing Kouga by the arms even though it was clear that their exhausted leader already regretted his words and would not stay to pick a fight against the taiyoukai. Survival was always first priority, even if his pride told him to meet the challenge of the dog he once met and acknowledged as a worthy opponent. In his weakened state, he would be destroyed as easily as the black female, so he turned tail and left in a small whirlwind, his friends following closely behind.

As the wolves reached the woods, fleeing for their lives, the crumbled house exploded for the second time; Kitana surged from below the ruins unscathed and jumped at Sesshomaru, aiming for his throat. Her anger had morphed into an intense desire to kill, to dismember this arrogant dog that disregarded every word that came from her mouth as if she was nothing but a disgusting being not worth taking notice of.

As she was about to grab him, the taiyoukai descended Tokijin upon her head. All she could do was block it, capturing the sword's blade between the spikes on her forearms, and try to counter it with her own strength. Snarling, her eyes became golden again.

"Sesshomaru, you won't survive this fight! I will kill you!"

On these words, his fury seemed to increase even more and he put all of his strength into his sword arm, forcing her to push firmly on the ground for balance. She was struggling intensely to contain the power of the dog youkai while concentrating her energies for an attack that would surely end his days. She could not to let go of the sword or she would receive the full strength of the strike on her throat, and Sesshomaru couldn't retire either for his blade was caught. He wouldn't have anyway, for his mind was blinded by his rage.

In his rage, the taiyoukai started to feel an intense wave of energy trying to harm him, to increase his body temperature. In answer to that treacherous attack, he called upon his youki, pushing the foreign energy away from him in winds of demonic energy. His eyes now totally crimson focused on the creature that was bold enough to try to burn him as she had burned other feeble enemies, he pushed his youki into his sword, adding a terrible energy to the evil blade.

Angrier than ever after her attack was repelled, Kitana resorted to physical means by snaking her tail up around Sesshomaru's throat, in a death grip that would be the end of him. Not deterred by this situation, Sesshomaru did the same with his fur pelt, ensnaring her throat in a powerful knot. The battle of will and strength would have continued until the end of one of them, if realization had not struck the onyx skinned female; her eyes suddenly opened up widely.

"Shit! That's it!"

With that, she closed her eyes and brought her arms down, avoiding the strike of the Tokijin by an inch. She swiftly wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's shoulders, in a posture similar to a hug. Her tail left his throat to ensnare his sword arm capture it beside his body, before snaking down below to wrap tightly around his legs, disarming him almost completely. Sesshomaru's fury doubled when he saw her like that, when he felt her body so closely in contact with his own; had she no shame to use such a underhanded tactic in a fight? What was she thinking?

His surprised waning, he started to struggle against her as she was probably preparing a trick of her own, when he slowly felt his emotions coming under control. His anger melted away, replaced by a feeling of calm and peacefulness. Puzzled by the phenomenon, he became immobile, his body still captive of Kitana's grip, his fur pelt around her neck trying to strangle her, but the attack became less and less threatening as his desire to kill slowly disappeared. Finally, Kitana opened her eyes and looked up into the taiyoukai's now golden eyes, a small smile on her lips.

"Hey, it's okay, don't you feel it?"

Looking around them, full realization of what he had done, of what could have happened in his fury, hit him. His arm went limp and his sword fell down on the ground, while he removed his fur pelt from the throat of his companion. Kitana raised an arm and passed it behind his neck, moving her other arm from his shoulder to ensnare his waist, hugging him tightly against her. She pressed her left cheek in her chest above the armored plate, not caring about the pressure the spikes put upon her throat. Before he realized it, his arm found its way around her slender waist and he lowered his head, placing his chin atop her head. They stayed that way for a short while, slowly breathing in and out the calm and peacefulness that they both felt, when in a whispered tone full of confusion, he spoke.

"What just happened?"

Kitana moved back a little, enough to put her hands on his chest plate and meet his eyes; he did not relinquish his hold on her though. She spoke in a hushed, sad tone of voice that he disliked instantaneously. Such a noble creature should never have to use a tone like that, he thought while a frown marred his face.

"It's my fault, Sesshomaru, and I am ashamed I pushed you this far without even realizing it. I feel so stupid, I acted like an angry child and I fear what could have happened because of me."

While she spoke, she couldn't look at him in the face. Her eyes fell on the ground, and if it hadn't been from Sesshomaru's pelt lifting up her chin, she wouldn't have found the courage to do it by herself.

"Explain."

"It's the biggest danger of this link we share. If we both feel the same way, and are not careful about controlling ourselves, we can throw the similar feelings to each other again and again, amplifying it with our own emotion at each pass, creating an immense, uncontrollable storm of feelings. Today my anger added up to yours, then you sent it back to me and I didn't separate it from my own rage. You felt this raging emotion, recognized it as yours and took it all in, before throwing it back at me again. The cycle repeated itself again and again until we both… well… couldn't keep it in check anymore."

"What did you just do, to calm This Sesshomaru so fast? What happened?"

His hand that left her waist to settle on her shoulder, was firm and she knew he was not angry anymore, just puzzled. Even though he would never voice it out loud, he regretted attacking her and wanted to make sure it wouldn't happen again. Reassured by his attitude, Kitana continued.

"I simply broke up the cycle. When I finally realized what was happening, I reached into myself and sent you waves of emotions in complete contradiction with what we were felling at the moment, and it worked. Peace, calm, serenity. It helped a lot that you did not really want to hurt me, that you wanted to gain control over your acts again, for without that desire I might not have succeeded."

She hesitate an instant before adding what she knew he would not take well.

"This is the danger of this link. It will wear off eventually, I assure you, but in the meantime we cannot ignore it. These feelings can't be simply shut down or buried or disregarded, if we do that then they just grow and grow and reach uncontrollable heights. We have to acknowledge them, accept this link that is between us now instead of fighting it, and then calm ourselves down when we do not want to feel in a certain way."

Sesshomaru's frown was deep now, his eyes reduced to narrow slits, and he detached himself from Kitana, backing away a step or two. Slowly, a small smirk reached the corner of his mouth, and he looked her straight in the eyes.

"So, you are telling me that tonight if you dare plaguing me again with your ludicrous randy feelings, I can simply imagine the most disgusting sexual intercourse ever and it will fade away?"

Heat pooled up in her cheeks as Kitana took in the words of her partner. Randy? Sexual? Shame came down on her when she realized what effect her innocent dreams may have had on the taiyoukai and she turned rounded eyes to him while she tried to stutter a coherent, honorable answer. With a shrug, he disregarded her discomfort and cut her pitiful tentative of explanations and excuses with a stoic declaration.

"This Sesshomaru has nothing to learn from you in emotion control. Like I already told you, I am well trained in that domain."

Regaining her bearings, Kitana sighed.

"It's like I said. You are very skilled at ignoring emotions, but obviously not at managing them. I can take that responsibility and try to do it for you, but the danger of us having the same intense feeling at the same time is still very present and very real. I know it's hard to take, but this link between us can become a dangerous liability as well as an asset. It just depends on how we manage it."

"Hn."

With that, he turned his back to her and made his way to the camp where he would find the rest of his group.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Author's note:** I want to thank you all for your reviews, I am honored by the comments I received and I hope you will continue to enjoy this story. And if you don't please feel free to speak about it, I can't improve it with no negative critics!

**Chapter 22**

Seven days. For seven additional days Sesshomaru had endured the nonstop assault of foreign impressions, feelings and emotions that came to him forcefully through his link with Kitana.

The first few days after the scene with Hakudoshi and Moryoumaru had been awkward. The taiyoukai simply returned to the clearing where Rin and Jaken had been waiting for them, and sat still against a tree. Not eating, or even sleeping, he tried to tune out anything that came to his mind, be it an emotion, a thought or an idea, in fear of being submitted to something that was not genuinely… him. To no avail. Kitana was right: ignoring this link was impossible, and had proven to be plain dangerous.

A recurrent thought, whispered by a bitter voice at the far back of his mind, had haunted him during these days, a thought of sword meeting flesh, of murder, of assassination. He finally dismissed the thought as a ludicrous fantasy, one that he couldn't commit now that this troublesome creature who turned his world upside down had wormed her way behind the high walls he had erected around himself.

So he came out of these long hours of introspection resigned to the idea of sharing his head with somebody else, for a short while at least. The sight that met his eyes when he deigned opening them up was peculiar, even comical in a way, for Jaken was standing right in front of him, dozing against his Staff of Two Heads, with dozens of multicolour flowers adorning his hat, haori and staff.

Rin was chanting to herself in a low voice, weaving another flower collar. Upon seeing her master's awakening, she smiled widely and bowed to him, before tiptoeing toward the kappa and clumsily adding the newest floral creation to his already decorated neck. She then returned to the serious task of picking flowers for the next artwork.

Following his nose, his eyes wandered along the trunk, and then the branches of the tree that was facing him. There, sitting cross-legged in an imitation of himself was his biggest problem of the latest days. And months.

For three days now, Kitana had been meditating. Keeping a discreet eye on the kappa and the child, she was satisfied to see that when he did not felt observed, Jaken cared well for the young Rin, providing food for her that he cooked with his staff. He provided entertainment as well, although it was much less voluntarily.

Sesshomaru's attitude first worried her, and while she studied his quickly changing, disturbed moods she decided to give him whatever help she could. So she installed herself comfortably in a nearby tree, and tried to clear her head of all the strong or unpleasant feelings she could have. Soon she succeeded at emitting soft, calming waves of emotions that she knew could only help Sesshomaru to go through this ordeal.

She stayed like that for 48 hours, but then she succumbed to sleep for a few hours. When she awoke she didn't remember her dreams, nor if she dreamed at all, but a frown on Sesshomaru's forehead told her all she had to know: she failed. So with a sigh, she resumed her meditation until the taiyoukai came back to reality.

When he saw her posture, Sesshomaru understood. He did not attain calm by himself, but with her help. He knew it should have irritated him, but the strength of her projected calming emotions overcame his own ire. It was not unpleasant in itself, feeling well was never a bad thing, but now it was artificial and he loathed the feeling. She had no confidence at all in his strength of character, and this would have to change. He would prove her that no matter what she threw at him through the bond between them, he was perfectly able to fend it off.

With a mental sigh, he rose and left the clearing, his group now following after him. It was amazing how the little Rin always knew when to wait for him and when to follow, and for an instant he pondered if she shared some of Kitana's sentient abilities. Dismissing the thought, he went on. His quest for power had been postponed long enough, first because of Naraku, then thanks to Kitana, and he was now decided not to be so lenient about his nemesis anymore.

**SSSSS**

The day went on without incidents. The forest they have been walking through became less dense as they advanced toward more populated areas, and soon they crossed a road. Surprisingly enough, Sesshomaru followed the road and led them toward a large fortified village. The night had fallen when they reached the beginnings of the fields that surrounded the high fences of the village, and torches were burning high atop the guard's posts.

Kitana was puzzled, for it was not in Sesshomaru's normal habit to come close to villages. He did not seem to be intentionally avoiding them, but it was clear for her that the youkai was a countryside and deep woods wanderer, not fond of human settlings at all, unlike Kagome's group. A little high-pitched voice broke her musings.

"Will Rin get new clothes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

The nod that Sesshomaru gave to the child explained everything. Of course Rin was in need of clothing, and what a better place to find child's wear than a human village, at night. Placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to the side, Kitana sized up the situation; stealing clothes would be a piece of cake, once they passed the fence.

"Don't bother yourself, Sesshomaru. I'll go and get something nice for her to wear."

"Of course Lord Sesshomaru won't bother himself with a human child's needs, you dimwit female! It is not his task to go on an errand so Rin can get clothes, of course not!"

Jaken was fuming, as always when he felt that Kitana had gone too far.

Lifting an elegant brow, in a manner not unlike Sesshomaru's own mimics, Kitana chose not to ignore the little kappa, has she had grown used to do.

"Oh, so whose task is it, Jaken? Yours, maybe? Well, help yourself. I can't wait to see how you'll deal with the fence. Maybe by digging under it in the dirt?"

Rin's giggle filled the air like music, while mirth washed over Kitana and Sesshomaru, not really coming from one or the other in particular. Apparently they both enjoyed the mental image of a dirty, mud-covered Jaken digging under the fence or falling over it, and a tiny smirk threatened to appear on the taiyoukai stoic face.

Jaken was still stuttering an outraged answer to Kitana's mocking words when she started her way to the village.

"You don't have to wait for me, you know. Just go ahead, I'll find you later." With a wink to Rin, she added "with brand new clothes that won't smell of dirty rats!"

"Orange clothes please, Kitana-sama! Rin loooooves orange!"

Bowing low to the child, she turned and vanished. In a breath she was gone, her ebony form engulfed by the darkness of the night.

**SSSSS**

Four. It took four rocks to the head to stop Jaken's grumblings and mumblings. The stamina of the small kappa was stupefying, or was it his stubbornness that asked for admiration? No, definitely not his stubbornness, more his stupidity. Yes, stupid he was, for no one was pestering a taiyoukai such as Sesshomaru long enough to receive four pebbles on the head without being very stupid.

Now that the peaceful sounds of the night could be heard again, only disturbed by the soft sounds of Rin's regular breathing and Jaken's hand massaging the bumps on his head, Sesshomaru realized that something was wrong. He had amused himself for a while at throwing rocks to the kappa, but now that the fun was over, the calm joy he had felt throughout the last hour or so did not left him. Was it Kitana's fault? Was she that happy? How could she be? Then, he realized that the diminutive, aggravating youkai was right. All the disturbances he created earlier had had a purpose: to alert him about the fact that Kitana was late. Curious about what event could have kept her from coming back, especially as it seemed to be something very pleasant, he rose and went toward the village.

He found her crouched on the roof of a high house, probably a noble's house for it was square with a central courtyard. The multiple torches burning down below created such an intense lighting that the roof was left in total darkness, and they were invisible to the humans despite his white clothing. Some kind of gathering was going on in the courtyard, a wedding maybe, and apparently it was the source of her delight. Not really understanding why, and seeing that she had already chosen some suitable clothes for Rin, he reached for them in the intent of taking them and returning to the camp, letting her enjoy whatever was happening down below.

That, however, was not going to happen.

Kitana swiftly grabbed his arm and tugged on him. Not prepared for that, Sesshomaru lost balance and fell beside her, adopting an undignified half-crouched, half-kneeling position.

"What is the-"

"At last, here you are! Took you long enough, what kept you?"

"Kept me?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, kept you. I thought for sure you would be more curious and come investigate sooner. Listen; they are playing music down there."

The frown on his face gave way to surprise when she pointed toward the courtyard. Music? Was it what pleased her so much? Simple, plain human music? He looked at the people down under them and noticed that they were indeed playing music, and most of them were moving as if they were dancing. Or trying to, with their clumsy human bodies. How ridiculous.

His contempt at the whole situation hit her; she would not endure another week of his foul mood and meditation though. It had to change, somehow.

"You're right, it's not that good, but we can improve it. Hold on to me!"

She did not wait for him to acknowledge her as she leapt from the roof headfirst, weaving her tail around his forearm. He reacted reflexively by grabbing it, and it was time for she would have fallen right down on the ground if it was not from his hold on her.

The roof advanced over the court down below and under it were stored unused musical instruments. Or whatever humans used to produce music. Suspended head down, Kitana quickly grabbed something and bounced back on the roof, using Sesshomaru as an unwilling anchor.

She came back with some kind of drum he had seen once in his youth, at his mother's fortress. The drum was wooden, and looked like a thin hourglass with strings binding the two flattened heads together in complicated weaved patterns.

Without more ceremony, she kneeled over the drum. He had seen enough and was about to rise when a firm hand upon his shoulder stopped him from leaving.

"Sesshomaru, don't spoil my fun! Let's see what I can do to give a little beat to their party!"

Eyes reduced to slits, his mind invaded by her contagious blissfulness, he sat down. He would make her pay this stupid involvement with human affairs, and it would cost her, but for now he would stay and see what she was up to.

"Beat?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, beat. Don't you see these people just want to have some fun, to celebrate, and the musicians don't understand that? Look, the drummers are sedated, not even using all their instruments, see the large drums back there that are not even played with? And the things with strings have the entire scene for themselves even though their players are as stiff and expressionless as, as… as you! At least the flute does have a nice sound. Let me tell you: the percussionists should be taking more place in the melody, they should give life to whatever it is they are doing with their stringed instruments. And the flute should be the accent. Let's remedy to that."

Sighing, he stopped her inspiration with his stern, stoic voice.

"The large drums are traditional taiko drums, and they are used only at large festivals, they would not be used for such a small event. The drum you so disrespectfully kneel upon should be held by your side, and the stringed instruments you despise so much are koto and shamisen. Although the humans play them very poorly, they are highly refined instruments of noble-"

Not listening to him, Kitana started to play on her drum. His voice stilled, his eyes following her movements. Slowly, her hands started to beat a hushed rhythm out of her drum, following the drummers that played down below. She integrated herself completely in the melody, not changing anything, and he was about to tell her how pointless her intervention was if she was to copy them when something occurred. She started to put an accent on one of the sounds, periodically bringing back the louder note. He turned his attention at the group of humans; they didn't notice that a new player had joined the band. Repeating the beat again and again, she added another accent, modifying a lower note this time.

Then, as the rhythm reached a comfortable zone, she modified it again. With more audacity, she increased the volume of her beat, playing louder and louder. Unexpectedly, to Sesshomaru at least, the other percussionists followed her and the sound of their drums amplified, uniting with Kitana's instrument in an interesting way. Boldly, she added two new notes in between the existing rhythm, bringing an exotic twist to it.

In the courtyard, the shamisen players had started to play with more energy, if only not to be overcome by the drums. The flute was livelier, and the people were dancing with more energy around the musicians.

It would still have been boring if Kitana hadn't increased the tempo a little bit. Even to Sesshomaru's sensitive ears, the change was subtle but it was enough to initiate an evolution in the rhythm. Making sure that the musicians followed her, she took her time and progressively brought the tempo to a truly lively beat. And then it happened.

In the courtyard, the musicians were enthralled in the rhythm they were playing, so much so than one of them added a personal touch to the beat, adding notes where before there was only silence. Then another one, and then three drummers followed suit. One of the flutists started to move around as he improvised a little melody, weaving it with great success in the main song. Two men from the dancers, strong young men who were probably soldiers in the local troops, left their partners and started to play the large taiko drum, expertly using their trained muscles to make the best of their instrument. Even the shamisen players couldn't stay rigid anymore under that beat and started to relax their postures, improvising wild melodies that made the best of the rhythm they were given by the drummers.

Sesshomaru was surprised to discover that the tranquil pleasure he took at listening to the musical accords was his own, it had only been triggered by Kitana's mirth. Memories of his childhood years when his mother entertained guests at their house and let musicians play until late into the night came to him. Of course what youkai considered music was much wilder than what he was listening at, and he had never been one to appreciate something as trivial as that, but the moment was peaceful and pleasant. He let go of his scepticism and looked at Kitana with renewed eyes. The girl really had a good musical sense. Her hands were flying over the leather of the drum, creating an unearthly beat that was very catchy. Her whole body responded to the music, her hips moving with the beat, her powerful and lean muscles contracting in rhythm, she was dancing in a very sensual way, even though she kept her ridiculous kneeling position over the drum. Suddenly realizing the heat that pooled inside of him at the sight of her, surrendering herself to the music, he turned his gaze on the courtyard down below.

"What the hell is going on here? Are you possessed, all of you?" yelled a very angry old man, who appeared from the house with a terribly furious look on his face. Everybody stilled in the courtyard, everybody except Kitana who played her drum just a little bit longer than the other musicians. Simultaneously, every human down below turned their gaze toward her and Sesshomaru, and the reaction was predictable.

"Youkai! There are youkai on the roof! Youkai tried to possess us!"

The few guards amongst the dancers had already grabbed weapons and arrows started flying in the air, but the said youkai were long gone. Leaving the drum on the roof, Kitana and Sesshomaru lost no time and fled from the village. They were already at the edge of the woods when Kitana stopped, laughing madly. Sesshomaru looked at her with bland eyes, wondering why in hell he fled before puny human arrows.

"Ahahah! Did you see their face when they saw us? A moment they were dancing and having fun and the next, they were bouncing all over the place in a panic! What a fun night!"

She walked around him and put a hand on his left shoulder.

"Thanks for accompanying me. We should do it more often." Then, she winked at him and started her way toward the camp, her laugh echoing in the air. It was Sesshomaru's turn to roll his eyes, mentally at least. He had to admit though that he really had fun up there on the roof, forgetting all about his recent predicaments and simply enjoying living the present moment. For a short while he basked in contentment, happy to simply be, and he did not dislike it.

**SSSSS**

Kitana was leisurely lying on her side on a small beach along a river. The setting sun was still able to heat her black skin and oranges and reds reflected upon her features. A crown of flowers placed upon her head by the little Rin gave her the look of some natural deity, and at this moment it was hard to believe how lethal she could be when she wanted to.

Those were the thoughts that went through Sesshomaru's eyes while he surveyed the calm scene happening in front of him. When she awoke earlier in the morning his ward had been immensely pleased by the outfit Kitana found for her, which was simple and colorful, similar in colors to the one she had had to abandon. The young human girl then took upon herself to thank Kitana for this feat and rewarded her with songs and flowers she picked along their travels. Lots of flowers. And for once, even Jaken seemed to be relaxed and maybe even happy, as he was not the recipient of the fragrant vegetal.

Kitana was pleased too. The last two days with Sesshomaru had gone well; the taiyoukai was definitively more apt at controlling the accidental bond that linked their emotions together. Or so she thought, until he rose and addressed Jaken.

"Jaken, you will gather edible plants for Rin's meal. This Sesshomaru will come back with meat."

The kappa nodded, excited about the perspective of a meal more consistent that their usual share of fish, roots and stolen crops.

**SSSSS**

It had been a long time since he had been so hungry. Granted, he hadn't sustained himself since before Rin's kidnapping by the rats, but this was a common occurrence for him. He left the riverside and entered the forest, sifting through all the different smells for one that would mean food.

It did not take a lot of time before he found what he was looking for: a group of about eight small deer, grazing amongst the trees. Usually, he would have used his great speed to swiftly catch one of the beasts and break its neck, avoiding any blood spill on his pristine clothes and fur. But today, he surprisingly found himself stalking his prey, crouching amongst the bushes like a predator, waiting for the right moment to pounce. He wanted nothing more than to sink his claws deep into the animal's flesh, to smell its fear permeating the air when it would realize what fate was upon it, to hear the last beatings of its exhausted heart.

It had been a very, very long time since he found any pleasure in catching his food, let alone this kind of thrill. His very first hunts, when he was a mere kid, brought him a similar emotion, but nowadays he didn't delight in killing such weak animals anymore. Despite his humanoid features, his canine instincts were strong and unlike wolves, dogs were not true predators; they were opportunistic beings, sometimes relishing in the pursuit and catch of a prey, but more often relying on foraging to feed themselves. When a hunt was necessary, dogs tended to choose the easiest prey, the one less likely to hurt them or force them to burn up too much energy; after all, the purpose of a meal was to replenish one's reserves, not to burn them down. Why he was so mesmerized by the idea of basking himself in the death of his prey when it was so foreign to his own nature, he couldn't start to understand.

The wind shifted, bringing his scent to the herd. Small white tails flashed in the air before the whole group panicked and fled the area. The rush of adrenaline in his blood pushed him forward: it was now or never. Using only his muscles instead of his supernatural speed, he caught up with the deer and chose a small female for prey. A pure pleasure invaded him when the doe jinxed and jumped in between the trees, trying to evade her predator even though she was clearly doomed. At the last moment, right before his claws ripped her neck open, reality came back to him and he grabbed the animal instead of slicing it up. A quick pressure on the neck broke it down, and the doe convulsed in her last spasms of agony.

What had gone through him he didn't know, but one thing was clear: it was not enough. The thrill of the hunt did not left him with the capture of the doe, his heart was still pumping his blood much faster than usually, and he jumped forward toward the rest of the herd. They were far now, but it would take him no time to catch up with them.

Right before killing his second prey, Sesshomaru stopped himself and shook his head. That attitude was not normal for him, not at all. Suddenly, a chill travelled up his spine. He was not the hunter anymore.

Still as a rock, he surveyed his surroundings intensely. There was nothing to be seen, heard or smelled, but he was convinced he was being stalked. His doubts were confirmed a moment later when a tall, black creature not unlike a scorpion unfolded her long, slender legs and tail and descended from a branch right in front of him.

"You."

Kitana's posture was tense, her breasts moving slowly with her deep breathing, her eyes fixed upon his own.

"This bloodlust is not your own, Sesshomaru. You are not the hungry one. Go back to the doe; Jaken and Rin are waiting for you."

His eyes opening up while his brows travelled up under his bangs, he understood her words. Once again he had not been able to discern her projected feelings from his own. However, he would not go back.

"The bloodlust is also mine, now that you shared it with me."

She shook her head at him, frowning.

"I shared nothing; you merely took it upon yourself to satisfy an urge that is not yours."

"Nevertheless; I am part of the hunt now."

An intense, silent confrontation happened between them, her eyes searching him for the tiniest hint of a doubt, his own defying her to push him away. The taiyoukai flexed his claws, eager to feel blood run under them, and Kitana's muscles were tense, ready to feel what he felt moments ago. After a small nod, Kitana turned her back to him and started her own hunt, her new partner on her heels.

She was not that hungry, and she was used to ignore this feeling, but obviously Sesshomaru was not. Now that he was so caught up in the thrill of the hunt, she couldn't resist it anymore than himself and both had to respond to its call. She extended her senses, and found what she was looking for. Turning toward the road they have been following for two days, she climbed a tree and jumped into the foliage with deadly intentions.

Sesshomaru was following her closely on the ground, nothing more than a white flash flying amongst the trees to any untrained human eyes that would have witnessed him. He was concentrating upon his link with Kitana, receiving and analyzing her every mood with the most profound pleasure. A bloodlust like this one he had never felt before and he let her powerful intent to kill overcome his senses. He was a warrior in essence, his best moments being when he fought against a powerful adversary. He had misjudged Kitana, thinking she was just like him. How wrong had he been. She had never been a warrior, would never be, no matter how much training he would put on her. She was a predator. She took her pleasure in tracking down her preys, stalking them, feeling the fear she instilled in these lowly creatures before she took their life. Her whole body and mind was controlled by her instincts and emotions, freed of any conventions or inhibitions and for that brief moment, he was just like her.

As they quickly advanced in the lush forest, he caught a scent on the breeze and Kitana oriented their path toward the origin of the odor. It smelled like humans, a rather large group of humans. The stench he always found so repulsive now was attractive to him in a purely primal, bestial way. Soon enough they reached the road, and to his surprise Kitana descended to the ground and advanced into the high grass of the fields close to the road instead of hiding amongst the trees. The group of humans he smelled earlier was further up the road, but she simply crouched right there in wait, hidden from the view. He joined her.

"Humans?"

For an instant she lost her focus on the hunt, and turned to face him. He could have sworn that her golden eyes were slowly turning black.

"Is smell the only sense available to you, Sesshomaru?"

Insulted by her teasing words, he was about to retaliate when he understood. Of course smell was not his only resource; he had stupidly let the strength of their link overcome his own attuned senses. Now that he thought about it, he could easily feel the presence of a human with spiritual powers on the road ahead of them, a human who was slowly closing in. Was this human her intended prey? A pure-hearted monk or priestess?

"Not there, Sesshomaru. There!"

Kitana pointed a finger toward the woods on the other side of the road. The wind was coming from their left, and as such the scents directly in front of them were lost to him. Irritation came from her in waves, for never before had she had such a distraction with her while she hunted. As her desire to kill started to grow again, Sesshomaru received different feelings through their links, and he frowned before looking at her once again.

Hatred. Lust. Greed. Restlessness. Another wave of greed, submerged in a torrent of perverse anticipation, of pleasure tinted with a viciousness that originated from the darkest of hearts.

Kitana's face was totally concentrated upon whatever beings were hiding amongst the trees. Her fangs were now uncovered, showing discreetly from behind her upper lip, and a hiss was audible if he tried not to listen to the breeze in the trees and herbs. Sesshomaru closed his eyes, letting himself be submerged by her strong desire for blood, by her hunger. He realized that these other feelings were not hers, could not come from her; they were from her prey. Or preys. The beings hidden in the forest which harbored so much dark emotions were her targets, and she was waiting for the best opportunity to strike at them.

The humans on the road had slowed their approach, as if they suspected something. He could see them in the twilight now, a group of about ten old men, women and even child, all of them poor, all of them taking place in an old cart hauled by an even older donkey. It was rare for humans to travel so late without any protection, and this group exuded anxiety and nervousness, a heavy smell of fear transforming their scents into delicious bait for any youkai miles around.

"They know you are there. Both groups know. They sensed your youki."

Her tone was very low, but he knew that if she could feel anything beside her urgent lust for blood, she would be resentful toward him.

The travellers finally arrived near their hiding place, and it was what the other group was waiting for. An attack was launched from amongst the trees, war cries were shouted at the top of lungs and four large youkai emerged from the woods, two going for the front of the cart and the two others for the back. They resembled oni, with huge fangs erupting from the corners of their mouths and small horns protruding from their foreheads.

Kitana wasted no time and sprinted across the part of field that still separated her from her preys, heading for the monsters that were attacking the front of the cart. Sesshomaru reacted to her intense bloodlust by jumping at the ones who attacked the cart by behind. In an instant the four beasts were either dead, beheaded by an energy whip, or left dying on the ground, their abdomen spilling all their contents on the dirt of the road.

The sprint of the black creature and her pristine white companion did not stop there however; it continued toward the forest, where other brigands were waiting to back up their comrades. A group of fifteen different barbaric looking youkai, all armed with weapons such as axes and clubs and sporting horns, claws or tails, were surrounding a lone human female clad in a black cloak. For a brief moment Sesshomaru was pleased, for he had not expected a good fight, but his hopes were shattered when the oni broke out in panic and fled through the woods. Growling, he went after them, decided to destroy these cowards.

Kitana stopped before the woman who had not moved yet. There was her prey, waiting for her as her partner took care of the rest of her followers. Power crackled around the small frame of the human, disproving anyone foolish enough to consider her small stature as a proof of her helplessness. The woman was chanting an incantation and around her appeared a simmering barrier of energy that repulsed Kitana and forbade her to advance any further.

"Demon, listen to me. I am the dark miko Kurotsuki and I command you. You will cease this ridiculous attack and join me and my troops. There will be a huge reward for those who help me take the content of this cart, and you will not be forgotten!"

Kitana listened at the woman and smiled a very unpleasant, toothy smile, before laughing out loud. Her mirth affected Sesshomaru who terrorized the few youkai still standing against him with an evil smirk of his own. Looking at the woman with what were now totally black, void eyes, she spoke.

"What makes you think I am a demon, dark miko?"

Confusion flashed in the eyes of the priestess when she sensed no youki coming from Kitana. This feeling soon give way to fear and anger, and the woman started chanting again and gathering energy.

"How arrogant are you to think that I would bend to your wishes and obey you?"

Sweat formed on the temples of the woman, and under Kitana intense gaze, rolled down in drops along the side of her cheeks, then jaws. Her small form was travelled by tremors and her fear became almost tastable in the air around them. She closed her eyes in a last effort at summoning allies or strengthening her defences, doubling the intensity of her incantations.

To no avail. With a sneer, Kitana placed her hand upon the barrier and, her eyes flashing with golden light, sent a surge of her own energy right through it, shattering it. The woman named Kurotsuki screamed and tried to back away, panic filling her eyes, but caught her foot in a root and fell backward.

Kitana kneeled over her, the woman now screaming and fighting with tooth and nail which only fuelled her desire to kill her. The gleam of a blade caught the black predator's eyes and a dagger slid alongside her abdomen, causing no damage to the protective suit. Laughing, she immobilized the miko's arms by snaking her tail around her and sat upon her belly, totally stopping her desperate and furious attempts to escape.

Upon that, Sesshomaru came back from the forest. The bandits had been unworthy opponents, cowards who abandoned their comrades and fled for their lives, but today it had been strangely satisfying for him to track them down one by one and put an end to their miserable lives. The scent of their fear that permeated the air, their looks of sheer terror and the screams of agony satiated an urge he had never felt before. It was nothing, though, compared to what was going on in front of him. Kitana's prey was a miko, but not the one he sensed earlier. She was a dark miko, a priestess who lost her soul to gain control over youkai and evil spirits.

His companion had secured her prey and was now toying with it. She reached for the cloak that covered the miko's head and face and ripped it away, uncovering an angry and panicked face with tears running down the cheeks.

With her empty black eyes fixed upon the woman's pathetic features, Kitana delicately scooped her neck in her left hand. With her right hand, she softly caressed her forehead before replacing a stray lock of dark brown hair.

"Hush, beautiful, hush. Why are you so terrified? Aren't you able to control creatures like me? Aren't you the one who sets them free upon human villages and travellers, letting them destroy everything in their stake for the sake of increasing your own dark power? Tell me, why am I not under your control? Why aren't you summoning such creatures to your help right now? Is it because you are too weak, or because even they don't want to come close to me?"

The miko was now silent, her eyes fixed upon the terribly beautiful face of her enemy. She had heard the smooth words of the creature and her enticing voice, following the movement of her soft lips and tongue as she spoke to her, but the meaning of her words did not reach her. Her entire mind was focused on the now snarling lips that uncovered terrifying silver teeth, and when they parted slightly and she saw a second mouth hissing furiously behind the teeth, her spirit went blank.

The jaws closed and the sweet lips started to move again before her eyes. The priestess couldn't fight anymore; the youkai that she called to her before her barrier was broken did not come to assist her, abandoning her to her fate. Her quest for gaining power upon the creatures of the dark was ending now, and she was loosing. She trembled in fear when the black female bent her head toward her and started to languorously lick and kiss her ear, triggering sparks of pleasure in a body that was too far gone to appreciate it. The contact descended along her neck, small suction movements giving way to more kisses and licks as the creature reached her collarbone. It was then that she saw the tall, white dog youkai who was standing close to them. He was not one of her regular minions, but he was youkai and maybe she could submit him to her control.

Whispered words left her lips, incantations meant to subdue and attach the spirit of youkai to her own, but the only effect they had was to anger the tall male. Poison started to drip from his right hand when the words of power reached his ears, and he would have killed the insolent dark miko for her pathetic tentative at enslaving a creature such as himself if it hadn't been for Kitana. At this instant, her teeth sank in the flesh of the woman, shredding her carotid artery and jugular vein in one swift, experienced motion.

The pleasure that engulfed both females was his, too. Sesshomaru slowly savored each wave of energy that entered his body through their link, through the blood of the priestess. It was different from when Kitana fed on him though, very different. He felt only a subtle hint of sexual excitation this time, mingled within a string and an intense wave of bliss that sent him to his knees. The dark miko was moaning, her body was limp; the energy she spent years to accumulate was transferred to her murderer in each warm sip of blood that was taken from her. Caught up in the intense moment, Sesshomaru finally closed his eyes and his head fell backward, as he fully received every sensation that coursed through Kitana's body.

Their trance was cut short though when an arrow, charged with holy energy, struck a tree right above Kitana's head. In the blink of an eye Sesshomaru was back on his feet.

"Back away, youkai. Leave this poor woman's body alone, you have done enough!"

Kitana growled, not even bothering to turn around and look at the intruder, intent on finishing her meal. Sesshomaru was not alarmed either, for the woman who fired this arrow was after all only a human, and all her holy energy could not affect him or Kitana. He felt strangely disconnected from the situation, his naturally indifferent composure coming back only to clash with the pleasure that came to him from his partner.

Another pink arrow was sent flying toward Kitana, and this time she reacted. The heart of the dark miko had stopped beating and her body was now nothing more than a rotting mound of flesh to her senses, already decaying. She stayed crouched over her victim, but this time she turned her upper body toward the newcomer. As the arrow reached her, she caught it in between two fingers as easily as if she picked an immobile leaf from a tree.

As her eyes were slowly regaining their normal color, she kept them intensely trained on the woman who dared threaten her. She took in the flowing red pants, the long-sleeved white tunic, the luxurious pitch black hairs that surrounded the white, angry face, and in a fluid movement she threw the arrow back to the one who fired it, embedding its tip in the ground mere inches before the feet of the priestess.

"I think you lost this. You should be careful where you place those, they could seriously hurt someone."

The miko slowly reached for a third arrow, totally ignoring the taiyoukai. As the wind carried her scent of soil and decaying bones to him, he understood why: she was the undead priestess, the one apparently allied to his half-brother, working against Naraku. They had met before and he ignored her then; she was returning the courtesy.

Recognition also flashed in Kitana's eyes. This woman looked awfully like Kagome, and her energy was very similar, too. Why didn't she sense her presence earlier? She was obviously there to protect the human travellers against attacks, it was logical, but something was off with her.

Then, as she continued her silent investigation, it struck her.

"You… you have no heat, you are cold! No flesh… How can it be?"

With angry eyes, Kikyo levelled her third arrow to Kitana's head.

"And you have no youki, blood sucker."

Sesshomaru's boredom reached Kitana through their link, effectively reducing her curiosity. Was the man doing it on purpose? She shot a look at him, only to see him turn his back to the scene and walk away. Puzzled, she looked once more at the miko but then, an even stronger wave of disinterest and indifference struck her. Silently, she rose and reluctantly left the scene, trailing after Sesshomaru. Kikyo followed their retreating backs as far as she could see them, and then turned her eyes upon the desecrated body of Kurotsuki. The woman who had been plaguing the countryside for months with her attacks against temples and shrines was now dead, and her death had not been a pleasant one according to the look upon her face and the gaping wound on her neck. Slowly, the miko put away her bow and arrow and returned to the group of travellers who were waiting for her, walking around the corpses of the bandits.

**SSSSS**

They travelled back to the camp mostly in silence, after Kitana had washed quickly in a small stream. Her head was full of questions and interrogations that she couldn't hold back for long, and soon enough she voiced them out loud.

"Sesshomaru… I'm not sure I want to know the answer but… what was she?"

The taiyoukai continued his way as if he didn't hear her, but her curiosity laced with a little bit of anxiety unnerved him.

"Do not concern yourself with her."

"Are you kidding? This woman is walking around in a body with no flesh in it! I couldn't even have distinguished her from the ground and rocks around if it hadn't been from my eyes! And you ask me not to be concerned? No way!"

"What you say is ridiculous. Of course you couldn't have seen her without your eyes."

"Well, no, it's not what I mean. I mean, I don't need my eyes to see, I see the heat produced by living beings. Remember the memory you took from me… Or rather no, don't remember that please. And don't try to change subject. What I want to say is that she has no heat, and it cannot be."

"Hn."

A moment later, he stopped in his track and turned toward Kitana, who had stopped walking when she received his last answer.

"You know, Sesshomaru, since you won't answer me, I think I will go back there and question her directly. She is very interesting, you see… To me, at least."

The taiyoukai was almost rolling his eyes. Almost.

"She is an undead miko, and before her death she used to be well-acquainted with my half-brother."

As a bland expression on Kitana's face was the only reaction to his words, he pursued.

"She is made of clay and graveyard soil. Her spiritual powers are important, and she is apparently one of Naraku's enemies. That is all This Sesshomaru knows about her. If you are still curious, go to her. I doubt she will answer your questions with anything other than arrows, though."

He turned again, almost at the camp, but he did not have the time to move a foot before her voice was heard again.

"Sesshomaru…"

"What?" he said with irritation.

"Congratulations. For earlier, you know. You have done well."

It was his turn to be confused.

"Earlier?"

"Yes. You gained a better control over our link. Once you understood it was my hunger that you felt, you took the conscious decision to let it invade you as well. But during the entire hunt, you had control over your emotions, you were yourself. And for a moment, you gained control over my own emotions, too. That's a feat."

She had arrived at his side, a serious, solemn look on her face.

"So if the link doesn't disappear, you'll be able to survive it… I think…"

A giggle escaped her before she leapt into the foliage. It was time, as Sesshomaru's anger flared at her last words and he made a movement to grab her, to force her to explain herself. Now however, as he felt her mirth, he understood that she was simply teasing him and didn't mean what she said. She wanted to anger him, and she succeeded. For a short while.

His stoic mask back in place, Sesshomaru grabbed the dead doe that was still lying on the forest floor and continued to the camp, his companion laughing cheerfully amongst the treetops. Along the way, a tiny ghost of a smile turned the corner of his lips slightly upward.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 23**

The effects of their little strode in the woods had been immediate and not unpleasant. Of course Rin and Jaken had finally given up on waiting for their return and had fallen asleep on an almost empty stomach, for they had only eaten the greeneries they found; but they had been immensely pleased when a scent of roasting meat awakened them next morning. The breakfast had been very pleasant, the young child laughing a lot while she ate and explained once again, in the details, every magical move the young fox youkai showed her in their captivity. Even Jaken demonstrated his gratitude by keeping his acidic comments to himself, eager to fill his stomach with as much meat as it was physically possible; and even more, if he could.

The thrill of the hunt dissipated slowly from Sesshomaru's senses as time passed, but it did not disappear; instead his mind replaced it with another: the need to search and destroy Naraku was coming back even stronger than after the fight at the rat nest. His customary calm and stoic demeanor could not hide his internal restlessness to Kitana, and she could only guess what the cause of this unrest was. As he sat against a tree, waiting for his followers to be done eating, his mind wandered far away, trying to devise a plan to bring his enemy out in the open.

When they finally left their camp, everyone was satiated and happy with themselves. Kitana was pleased to see how the efforts of the last days had paid off, the taiyoukai being now much more at ease with their connection than ever. Her unexpected meal had a soothing effect on both of them, taking the edge off of her temper and letting her natural curiosity for the world around her come back at full force. The creature was as always eager to explore and see for herself what wonders this world kept hidden from her, and travelling with her companions was a nice way to quench her thirst for experiences and adventures.

Sesshomaru seemed to be in a hurry however, and instead of walking the forest like he usually did, he took flight. Kitana was puzzled and as she studied him from Ah-Un's saddle, Rin comfortably settled in front of her, she only saw her own feelings reflected back at her: a little bit of irritation combined with an increasing curiosity that couldn't be satisfied. Were they really feeling the same, or was it once again the curse of the twisted link that they shared so unwillingly? Neither of them could tell.

About midday, Sesshomaru landed on a dirt road beside a rocky hill and started to go up the slope. Kitana dismounted from her steed along with Rin, who had fallen asleep on the way. The two girls let Ah-Un go his own way, as he was always following faithfully wherever his master went, but Jaken didn't intend to let that be.

"Rin, I told you hundreds of time you silly human girl, you cannot let your mount wander alone in the wilderness. You may need it at any time and should keep it close at hand. Never let go of the reins!" shrieked the kappa with his ever-annoying voice as he went to retrieve the steed.

"Ah-Un are Ah-Un, master Jaken, not it! They will stay close."

Kitana smiled at the attitude of the young girl, who always distinguished each head as an individual no matter what others would say. The dragon steed was indeed very infatuated with her and faithfully kept watch over her, but that was where his allegiances stopped; there was no respect or obedience lost on Jaken.

Rin started to laugh at the small youkai's antics and Kitana soon couldn't resist a laugh either. As Jaken ran up to Ah-Un to take hold of the reins, the dragon kept his two heads way up in the air, balancing the leathery lead ropes just out of reach of the short, stubby creature.

Her eyes sprinkling with tears of laughter, the young human child took Kitana by the hand and slowly, they crept away from the comical scene. Jaken was funny when he was made a fool of by Ah-Un, but it would be even funnier when he would think he had been abandoned… They started to walk along a steep vertical cliff, hurrying to join Sesshomaru.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru's patience was wearing thin. For almost two whole minutes now he had been waiting for his group to keep up with him. Not that it was an habit for him to do so, not at all, but this day a disturbing scene was unravelling before his eyes and he stayed glued on his spot to study what was happening.

Not fifty feet from him, he could see his ward, hand in hand with Kitana, walking just on the edge of the forest he was standing in, purposely ignoring his presence. Twice he saw them go back from where they came, and twice they turned around again, seemingly lost. As his irritation grew, he noticed that a slight hint of nervousness was starting to grow inside of him, and he knew for sure he was not nervous. Annoyed, yes, but worried no. The frown on Kitana's face was tell-tale though, and even though she didn't want to show the child her discomfort and talked to her in a cheerful tone of voice, it was clear to him that this unwanted feeling was coming from her.

**SSSSS**

From the moment she left Jaken behind, Kitana had lost all signs of Sesshomaru's presence. Trying to conceal her worries from the girl at her side, she felt out for his body heat, then for his huge inner energy, to no avail. All she could tell was that he was not dead, for she clearly sensed that he was about to lose his temper over something.

When a hand suddenly came out of nowhere to land on her right shoulder, Kitana's reaction was lightning-fast. She pushed Rin out of the way while at the same time she grabbed the offending appendage and threw its owner on the ground beside her. Surprisingly, the said owner of the arm fought back and rolled over her, pinning her to the ground between solid, muscular thighs. As anger boiled inside of her, pushing her to coil her deadly tail around the attacker's body, she stilled; for the man that was now seated upon her, eyes narrowed and anger painted clearly upon his features, was none other than Sesshomaru. She became limp.

"How?" she whispered.

"Why did you just attack me?" he asked with a barely contained rage.

Her eyes wide in disbelief, she ignored his question.

"How did you sneak up on me?"

"This Sesshomaru certainly did nothing of the sort. Your name was called twice before I came back from the woods to get you. You ignored my very presence, and then my calls."

Kitana's tail slumped to the ground, and she raised herself up on her elbows.

"Cut the crap, Sesshomaru. You did not call to me, and I couldn't even feel your presence. You appeared out of thin air, or… out of the cliff itself. You can imagine that if I had felt you, I would have come to you" she replied, containing her ire at being treated that way. "Back from the woods, yeah like there are woods here on that hill…" she muttered to herself in a whisper, shaking her head.

A single white brow went up under the taiyoukai bangs, signalling his confusion.

"Are you saying that I lied? Indeed there are woods. A whole forest, as a matter of fact."

Rolling her eyes at his insistence, Kitana then realized he was telling the truth, or at least what he genuinely thought was the truth. Feeling her intense scrutiny, and for once realizing the position they were in, Sesshomaru rose and unexpectedly extended his hand out to her. Kitana let him help her back on her feet, and kept his hand in her own as he slowly walked backward toward the cliff, bringing her with him.

"You do not see the forest" he observed more than he asked.

Kitana was puzzled, for all was before her, all she could see behind Sesshomaru, was the high cliff alongside which she walked earlier.

At her negative nod, Sesshomaru looked at Rin. For the first time since they met, the child looked at him with concern in her eyes. Even Jaken, who had finally managed to grab the reins of the sly beast, had heard his words and was standing there, his beak wide opened and his eyes bulging.

Returning his attention to Kitana, the taiyoukai suddenly jumped backward, hauling her with him. She screamed as they passed through what she considered to be a solid wall of rock, landing beside a tall oak. Then her scream was muted by the loud, despaired shriek of Jaken and the surprised cry of Rin. Both of them reached the point of the cliff where they had seen their master disappear, placing their hands as if they were touching an invisible wall.

Kitana was wide-eyed beside Sesshomaru, taking in the scenery around her. Behind him was a slowly descending slope covered by what could only be described as a huge, centenarian forest, growing in what appeared to be a very old inactive volcano.

"A barrier."

His stern voice brought her back to reality and she eyed him with scepticism.

"A barrier? Like the one around the young warrior-child, Hakudoshi? Or the dark miko?" she whispered.

"No. One that conceals the forest's very existence to intruders." He turned his head to her. "To you."

Kitana was not at ease, for she could not feel the energy of a barrier before being brought there by force. A feeling of dread was washing upon her, growing stronger the more she looked at the forest around them. Seeing the anxiety growing in Rin as Jaken was panicking beside her, she went back to them, making them scream of surprise as she reappeared right from the rocky cliff itself.

Rin flung herself at her legs, hugging one of her legs tightly.

"Kitana-sama! Rin saw you disappear in the rock and was very worried!"

"Don't be, Rin. The cliff is an illusion. Sesshomaru-sama is waiting on the other side. Come with me, we'll join him."

Taking the little child by the hand, she turned around and walked right into the cliff, banging her head in on the rock and hurting herself in the process. Illusion or not, the rock was as real as any other and there was no way she could pass through it.

On the other side, Sesshomaru cocked his head to one side.

"Hn. Interesting."

Rin and Jaken hopeful eyes were trained upon Kitana. She felt the solidity of the wall with one hand, then stilled. Her eyes turned a deep, rich golden tone as she summoned her energies and pushed them through the wall just as she did to destroy the miko's barrier. To no avail: the cliff would not budge.

Jaken's panic overflowed and he started crying, running in circles behind Kitana and Rin.

"Sesshomaru-sama, oh my poor Sesshomaru-sama, he is caught behind this wall and there is no way we can reach him, we have been abandoned, aban-"

His ranting was cut short when a well thrown rock sent him flying on his backside. Kitana was getting irritated enough not to endure such a coward around her anymore, and the little Rin, as brave and thrusting as she was, was now looking at her with eyes clouded by concern. But it was Sesshomaru who reacted, reminding the little kappa that a mere barrier wouldn't be able to contain him. He savoured the growing bump on the kappa's head then walked back to them.

The sight of him appearing right from the very rock was distressing, even for Kitana, but Rin regained her composure as soon as her master came back to them. He reached out for Kitana's hand, just as he did earlier, and let the small human child grab his pant. Turning around, he once again went through the cliff he didn't even see, Jaken leaping to take hold of his fur pelt at the last moment.

"Oh! It's a forest! A magnificent forest behind a rocky cliff! Rin loves it!" exclaimed the child before letting go of her master and hopping her way amongst the trees.

Sesshomaru let go of Kitana's hand and turned around, resuming his journey. She, however, didn't move much further. As he advanced in the forest, accompanied by his ward and retainer, an unpleasant feeling similar to fear washed over him, getting stronger with each step he took. He gritted his teeth and stopped again, waiting for Kitana to regain her composure.

Kitana could feel Sesshomaru's irritation at her attitude, but she couldn't care less. She had set foot in enemy's territory, an enemy that she couldn't feel nor see, and it put her on edge. The forest was maybe pretty to the young Rin's eyes, but to her it was not. The tall trees were towering over her, preventing the light from reaching the ground and creating an eerie atmosphere. Old greyish green moss was hanging from their branches and no bird song, bees or insects could be heard, as if nature itself was waiting for a disaster to occur. The only sounds that pierced the silence were sinister cracking noises emitted from the old branches; even the wind seemed to have deserted the area. This forest was a very gloomy place which made her expects the worse.

Looking around, she tried to locate sentient beings but found none. Expanding her senses, she found multiple animals, even some larger herbivores, all of them very still and silent, but no human or youkai except for her companions. This forest appeared as a haven for wildlife, untouched by humans, unspoiled by lower youkai, but it held an air of danger that repelled her strongly.

Under Sesshomaru's severe glare, she forced herself to move forward, one foot at a time, but soon enough she had to stop again. Turning toward a nearby tree she cocked her head to the side; she could swear that she felt something coming from it, a tiny source of energy similar to youki. She reluctantly extended a hand toward its bark, grazing the old, cracked surface with the backside of her fingers. The feeling was highly unpleasant, and there was definitely some sort of energy coursing through the large vegetal, something akin to youki. The tree itself was not a demon, but it was very likely some sort of vessel used by another youkai maybe, or a powerful entity. Yes, that was it. Closing her eyes, she focused on determining the source of this palpable energy that coursed up to the very leaves and tiniest branches of its canopy.

Then she started to feel it.

Inside her head, there were whispers. Whispers that spoke of unwanted things entering forbidden territory, whispers that told her she was uninvited and unwelcomed, in this forest as well as in this world. Not only uninvited, but disgusting and repelling as well, a being that no one should approach for fear of being tainted by her darkness. Strong feelings of disdain and revulsion washed over her, growing stronger and stronger as she listened to them. Affected by this disturbing blend of words that spoke of total rejection, Kitana withheld her hand from the tree, but the action did nothing to lessen the assault. The unspoken words in her mind echoed with long forgotten memories of her earlier years, when people whispered against her in her back, when she was rejected by everyone, unwanted by all but her masters. She was repulsive, she was disliked, loathed by the beings around her, it would be better if she never came to life. Sesshomaru had thought that way too in the beginning of their forced companionship, oh yes he did, and deep inside of him lingered traces of this reject of her. There was still no doubt about that in Jaken's mind, he made no secret that to him she was nothing but an hindrance to his master and a liability for the safety of their little group. She should go away, move out of the life of those who do not want her, she had to. She had to disappear, to return to oblivion where she would disturb no one, endanger no one, disgust no one.

Sesshomaru could not believe what he was seeing. In front of him, Kitana slowly curled up in a small ball on the ground, her whole body shivering intensely. Her mind was being destroyed, slowly but surely, by emotions she should not be feeling. He felt the rejection and the desire to disappear that came from her, not understanding how such strong thoughts could have come to her so unexpectedly and be so overpowering. Frowning, he walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her, or shake her out of her strange attitude. This had to stop.

She did not react to his touch the way he anticipated. Instead of calming her down, his warm palm upon her skin sent her into panic and she lashed at him with her tail before trying to move away hastily, still kneeling on the ground. The short contact between them heightened the intensity of their link and in this short instant he received with even more strength the power of the unsettling things she was feeling. For an instant, he came close to feel that way too, but Sesshomaru knew better than that. These emotions were totally foreign to him; his opinion of himself was too high to be depleted in such an idiotic way as self-loathing was. Kitana however, for a reason he was unable to fathom, was highly sensible to this rubbish and he had to find a way to calm her down.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" asked Rin in a tiny, concerned tone of voice.

That was all he needed to act; no one would make his ward worry if he could help it. Immensely annoyed by the whole ordeal, unable to fight when there was no tangible enemy around, he used his newly found power over their link to emit calming feelings toward Kitana, tempering his own impatience and letting peace and harmony invade his spirit.

To no avail; whatever was affecting the onyx creature was stronger than the meager appeasing emotions he could summon. Now frowning deeply, he decided it was time to take desperate measures. He caught up with Kitana's shivering form and quickly coiled his furs around her, scooping her up in his arm. She screamed like a banshee and started to claw and bite at him, succeeding to draw blood from his chin before he totally immobilized her arms and legs with his pelt and arm. The hardest battle was with the tail, which was incredibly strong and fast, but he resolved the issue by casually kneeling down on it, pinning it down under his weight. Doing his best to keep her sideway on his knees so her inner jaw and her back spikes couldn't do any harm, he focused on the waves of emotions that crashed over him.

Once again, their physical contact multiplied the power of the negative, terrible feelings of the black female. Hoping it would also work in reverse, he held her tightly against his armor despite her attempts at moving away and he thought for an instant about the best way to calm her down, about what she really needed to counteract the overwhelming rejection and self-loathing. Acceptance. Affection. Friendship. Tenderness. Warmth.

At first he had to search deep down inside himself to truly feel these emotions, for it was highly unusual for him to be in such moods. Memories of his early childhood came back, recollections of his growing relationship with the tiny human girl that worshipped the very ground he walked upon. Surprisingly, as he called upon these feelings, he discovered that thinking about Kitana herself brought them out strongly. His eyes opened up in surprise as his breath caught sharply in his throat, for he did not expect that the black creature had taken such a large place in his once frozen heart. He was sending her waves of tender feelings and he could not deny that they were absolutely genuine. He would not be more astonished if she had landed a punch square on his jaw.

Kitana started to come back to reality. Inside her, a battle raged. A part of her told her that she was totally unwanted and should not even exist, yet in a way she sensed it was not the truth, for she was now receiving wave after wave of the opposite emotions. She slowly opened her eyes and met with Sesshomaru's golden gaze. For an instant, his attachment to her swirled into his amber eyes, proving her that she was important, needed, and this simple sight annihilated any doubts she still had about her value and her place in the universe.

"I… have been tricked." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"Yes, you have."

She struggled again to rise but this time he nodded sternly, releasing a part of the hold he had on her. She was still shaky, still feeling slightly out of place, but he was glad to observe that she finally realized the falseness of these emotions. He rose with her and reluctantly let go of her as she gathered her spirits and walked to the large tree that triggered this pandemonium of unwanted emotions.

"I have been tricked!" she claimed strongly, before placing both palms directly in contact with the dark bark of the old tree, her eyes a shining gold.

She did her best not to listen to the poisonous words and emotions that she received from it. She stayed focused on the tree, on the energy that coursed through it. Closing her eyes, she could distinguish the flow of what she now recognized as pure youki that fed the vegetal, reaching up into the very leaves of the tree. Looking down on the ground, she noticed how the energy flew in from the roots. Every single tree around her was connected to this flow of youki by its root system, every branch, every twig, every leaf was fed by this network of energy. The trees themselves were ordinary, but there was a sentient being concealed somewhere, a youkai, that used them to detect and repel what he considered his enemies. She could barely wait to find it and make it regret to have challenged her.

The youkai somehow understood he was detected and the waves of negative feelings increased tenfold suddenly. Kitana fell on her knees, gritting her teeth, and Sesshomaru reacted by coming at her side and once again placing his white palm upon her black shoulder in support. Through her, he finally felt the traces of youki that permeated the tree and instinctively, he flared his own demonic aura in answer. They both became engulfed in the furious winds that accompanied his transformation, but he never let it go further than a reddening of his eyes. The hostile youki receded somewhat at this display. His help was welcome, for Kitana's opponent was strong and she was new to this kind of mental battle.

She breathed slowly, concentrating on Sesshomaru's peaceful and warm emotions while trying to determine how to fight, how to untangle herself from this situation. As she calmed down, a small smile graced her lips. She knew what to do.

Not letting go of the tree, she rested her head on the bark and started feeding her own positive energies into the network of youki that linked all the trees together. She mentally reached at Sesshomaru for his support, and at the little Rin's pure trust and love, and relayed their emotions to the being that started the attack. She searched inside herself for remembrances of her passion for Jess, for her strong affection for the small human child and her growing attachment to the taiyoukai and projected it all into the flow of youki, slowly lessening the assault on her own mind.

Sesshomaru sensed the change immediately. The terrible thoughts that plagued his companion's mind mere seconds ago were weakening in strength, pushed away and neutralized by an intense, powerful feeling of warmth that he had never experienced before. It washed over him, growing and strengthening itself as it fed upon something hidden deep inside of him, and it felt heavenly good.

Kitana knew she won when the pressure of the youki upon her mind vanished. The tendrils of energy that flowed from tree to tree were still there, but reduced to fine strings instead of strong ropes. She opened her eyes and turned around to meet the intense gaze of her companion, who was paying a lot of attention to her features. They were both still dazed and somewhat confused by the intensity of the feelings they shared, of the affection and tenderness they had for each other. Gold irises were clashing with each other, searching each other for the confirmation of what they felt during the confrontation. As a bundle of tiny human flesh snaked its way between them, a hand placed upon each of their shoulders, they came back to reality and reluctantly let go of whatever emotion they felt. Acting as if they had not found something very strong that linked them to one another, stronger than the bond created by the gift of blood, they both shook themselves back to their senses. Kitana turned her head to examine the young Rin, who in return flashed the sunniest, most toothy smile that she could summon, bringing up joy and mirth to the heart of the woman. Sesshomaru witnessed their silent exchange and was glad that both of the beings he considered as his charges had shed away their unwanted attitudes and feelings.

As the taiyoukai rose and Rin happily climbed upon the saddle of her steed, the atmosphere in the forest changed drastically. A playful breeze agitated the leaves gently, capturing the weaker ones and bringing them in the air for a small ride. The cracking that came from the branches stopped, replaced by timid songs from awakening birds and insects. The leaves themselves seemed to turn sideway and soon sun touched the ground, unhindered.

"Let's seek the one who is answerable for this."

**SSSSS**

They walked for what appeared like hours toward the deepest part of the forest. The woods were just as Kitana sensed before, devoid of any human or lower youkai activity. Squirrels and rabbits were everywhere, as well as weeds and flowers. They were advancing too fast for the little Rin to walk on her own, but it was obvious from her looks that she longed to get off the saddle to play in the wilderness. Jaken was huffing and puffing, following with great difficulty on his short legs.

"Rin has been here before, isn't it true Sesshomaru-sama?" asked the child as she studied the wonders around her.

The only answer from the youkai was a subtle nod. The child had good memory, unlike Jaken who screamed and fell backward when a deep voice was heard, apparently coming from nowhere.

"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama. Welcome to you."

Kitana was awe-struck. At first she had started to lead Sesshomaru toward the source of the youki that fed the trees, but somehow he seemed to know which direction she was heading and she let him take the lead. Now before her was a being radiating of an immense energy, a being unlike any other she had seen before. How she missed its presence earlier she couldn't begin to understand, unless the creature had the ability to mask its very existence.

"It's the old tree youkai! Hello, tree youkai! Rin is pleased to see you again," chatted the small Rin happily.

"Yes, welcome back to you, young one" kindly answered the giant magnolia tree, as a humanoid face slowly emerged from the bark of its trunk.

Kitana was much more aloof and careful than the child though, the memories of the hurt she felt under the control of the tree still very fresh to her memory. She studied the ancient, wise figure, knowing that there was more than met the eyes with this youkai and unsure of what would unfold. She was tired of fighting, both physically and mentally, but she would not go down easily, even if it meant chopping down every tree and plant this forest held.

A silent anger boiled inside Sesshomaru when he spoke to the tree.

"Bokusenou. Explain what the purpose of your hostility was."

The tree turned his eyes toward Kitana, who was standing right beside the taiyoukai. Her attitude was bordering on defiance, and her wariness overcame most of her fascination for the tree. Slowly, the elderly youkai closed his eyes in what was the closest approximation of a bow he could do.

"Tsowandar-sama. Please accept my most sincere apologies for my attitude toward you. It was uncalled for, as you so clearly demonstrated.

Kitana appeared confused by the words of the youkai tree.

"Tsowandar? Excuse me, but I think you are mistaking me for another. My name is Kitana, not… Tsowandar." When she pronounced the strange word though, something stirred inside her. It was familiar.

"Then I am honored to meet you, Kitana-sama."

"Bokusenou. You are aware that attacking one of my allies is a deadly mistake. You did it consciously."

The tree returned his attention to the irate taiyoukai who was standing before him in all his arrogance. Smiling, he recognized many traits of his sire in this young pup who was demanding for answers.

"You are right, Sesshomaru-sama. I let you pass, but I had to refuse passage to your ally unless she proved she was not meaning any harm."

"My choice of allies does not concern you, Bokusenou. Her ties to me are sufficient for her to be accepted here."

"Oh, but it does concern me, Sesshomaru-sama, but it does. Her kind has been known to bring forth destruction in the past, and the return of the Tsowandar was not something I could ignore or tolerate easily. But as you say, she is now accepted here, so let us get to the reason of your visit."

"Hn."

"Wait wait wait!"

Kitana's upset form walked in between the two youkai.

"What do you mean, "my kind"? Have you ever seen a creature like me?"

The onyx female was having a hard time hiding her true emotions to the tree, as much as she wanted to do. Sesshomaru could sense her unease, but little did he know about the reasons behind her turmoil. Was she afraid of the monsters from which she originates, those she apparently controlled, or was it more than that?

"No, you are the first one I see. However, I have been taught when I was a mere seedling that the return of the Tsowandar on this land would precipitate the end of our age. I see now that you mean no harm, but your… features let place to no doubt as to your species. "

The great tree smiled gently at her, his eyes barely opening in the many wrinkles that marked his face. She was stunned; if the tree was speaking the truth, and she couldn't see why he wouldn't, there had been Aliens on this land, and as far as she knew there could still be some of them in dormancy. This was a threat that could not be overlooked, and she was about to push her questioning a little further when Sesshomaru beat her to it.

"Who told you this nonsense, Bokusenou?" asked Sesshomaru. The casual conversation gave him time to cool down and his ire was dissipating, but he would not let an attack on a member of his group go unpunished. He did not have much respect for the old tree, who had been one of his great father's advisors, but he knew that the magnolia youkai had connections everywhere and it was never good to ignore such a fact. The demonstration of his power to scatter his youki to see and feel through the other trees was adding a new element to the equation. The magnolia could be much more useful than he first thought. And much more dangerous.

"That knowledge would not help you, Sesshomaru-sama. My teachers are long gone by now. However the answers to the questions you both have, including the ones about Naraku's whereabouts, will be simple to find."

The pensive taiyoukai nodded, his mind still replaying the words of the tree. The old one always seemed to know why he was seeking him out.

"Go on."

"The place of your origins hold many answers. Maybe more than you wish."

Kitana was still lost in her thoughts. The words of the tree were highly disturbing, and that word, Tsowandar, really struck a chord in her. She couldn't pinpoint why exactly and it was irritating. The few phrases shared between her companion and Bokusenou did not make much sense to her, and she looked at them in a quizzical way.

Sesshomaru was far from pleased by the words of the wise tree; it was in fact one of the last things he wanted to hear. He subtly bowed to Bokusenou before turning on his heels and leaving, followed by the two-headed dragon, the child and the kappa. Kitana stayed alone with Bokusenou for a short time, and then bowed her head to him. He answered with a mysterious smile before his face faded away inside the trunk.

**SSSSS**

Getting out of the forest had been easier than getting in, nature being even more welcoming and inviting than ever before. Sesshomaru being lost in thought and walking almost at a leisurely pace gave the little human child ample time to explore and play amongst the flowerbeds, and her laughter mixed with bird songs and cicada thrills to enlighten further more the end of the afternoon.

The taiyoukai had a lot to think about. There were of course the parting words of the tree youkai, but he knew their significance and they bothered him too much to spare them a thought as of now. He was too agitated to really face the path that was ahead of him, and instead he turned his mind toward the events that preceded their encounter with the old tree.

The mind attack Kitana had been victim of was disturbing. He knew for a fact that her soul held darkness, but to see her be so easily swayed into despair when for a long time she had not been acting melancholic or suicidal was unnerving for him. He thought she was out of it, but her anguish ran deeper than he believed.

Then there was his own reaction to her inner fight. Could he really feel something that strong toward the dark-skinned predator that had been so forcefully pushed into his life weeks ago? He had known for a long time that he was not totally able to bury his feelings, from the day he revived his Rin and witnessed her transformation from a battered mute child into a happy faithful girl. He had become protective of her, and as much as he wanted to believe he couldn't care less if she was to go away, there was a heavy tension in him every time she had the option to walk away from him. Receiving her admiration and love when he was rescuing her from Naraku or the multiple day-to-day accidents that a child her age was prone to encounter was one thing. However, when he found her in the grasp of human monks and turned his back to her while his usual suggestion to do as she pleased still resonated in his ears, the intensity of his relief when he heard her small footstep hurrying after him was indescribable.

Could he have developed similar emotions toward Kitana? Could he be as attached to the foreign, infuriating creature as he was to the human child? He knew he lusted after her, after witnessing her actions with the human princess at the hot spring his attraction to her had become quite blatant, growing at a steady pace until their own encounter when he had shared his vital energy, his blood with her. But he was not one to act upon ridiculous sexual urges or to torture himself with them. No, it was much deeper than that, he felt an attraction toward her that had nothing to do with physical lust. He needed her by his side, close to… his heart? Had he been developing more romantic feelings for his partner? He frowned at the thought, knowing that Kitana was nothing but romantic, yet even to him it was obvious he had. The real question was what he would be doing with this fact now that he acknowledged it.

Kitana too was engulfed into unpleasant speculations about what happened in the forest and what the old tree had meant when he spoke of her kind and their return. She could see and feel how Sesshomaru was in turmoil, it only added to her own and made them oblivious to the joyful atmosphere they were travelling in.

When he came to her help and she started to skim through his emotions to find the positive ones, she had truly felt the intensity of his feelings for her. She had known for a long time that the taiyoukai's attachment to her was growing, and she had ignored it superbly, or so she thought. The most disturbing element of this experience was that up until then, she hadn't been aware of her own feelings toward her male companion. When she had tapped into those emotions, she at first thought that they were directed to her lost love, but it was not the case. It was the taiyoukai conflicting stoic and fiery attitudes, his love for combat and power, his eagerness at protecting those closest to him even if he wouldn't acknowledge it, his acceptance of her flaws and sins as well as the way he pushed her forward, forcing her to face life instead of escaping it. All of this, and how much more, had grown on her to a point that she didn't foresee, and that she couldn't quite understand. The emotional closeness she could deal with since for her it was nothing new. What scared her was the depth of her bond to him; it had become much more than mere companionship. She discovered that underneath the friendship lurked stronger feelings, a physical pull that attached her to him, and she was not totally unresponsive to these emotions no matter how hard she tried to convince herself of the contrary. Only Jess had ignited such heated reactions into her, and it was totally foreign and confusing for Kitana to envision Sesshomaru in a role only her female lover had undertaken so far.

When they stopped at night and made camp to allow Rin and Jaken some sleep, she waited for them to be asleep before she pushed aside those disturbing thoughts to share her worries with her youkai companion. There were more pressing matters to address than her unwanted attraction to the taiyoukai, and if she had her word to say, these affinities would not be brought to light. She joined him as he was silently contemplating the night sky, seating in his usual manner against a large tree.

"What the tree said was… disturbing."

His silence and lack of reaction to her words did not unnerve her; she was used to this stoicism, and unless he rose and went away or told her to shut up, she would continue to share her thoughts with him.

"He somehow implied that Aliens had once roamed this land. If find it difficult to conceive, as they usually scar the land they inhabit so deeply no life form can continue to thrive there. They destroy everything and leave nothing behind them; yet this Bokusenou knew what I was."

"Make no mistake, woman; the tree is old and withering. We cannot be sure he know what you are; he called you a Tsowandar, and whatever it is I have never heard of them, and you neither. His old age can bring him into senility, making you a fool to believe his words."

"But you have been seeking him out for a reason, haven't you? And what he said about your birthplace disturbed you… Are you a fool too to go to him for advice and give his words credence?"

He did not answer, preferring to return his gaze to the immensity of the star-littered sky.

"Even so… If he said the truth, then there may be Aliens remaining hidden somewhere on this planet, or eggs."

"What if there is?"

His bored tone, for once, reflected perfectly his internal workings; he did not care about the possible consequences of an Alien invasion. His absence of interest for her problem heated up her temper, and she answered in a scathing tone.

"Then they have to be destroyed; Aliens would jeopardize the very existence of this world."

"Hn. To destroy them, you would have to find them first."

She became silent for a moment. He was right, of course; finding the hypothetical Aliens would be an impossible task, even more so if there were only eggs to be found.

"Yes…"

Lifting a brow, Sesshomaru turned his head toward his companion, surprised at the despair and inner turmoil he could sense coming from her.

"Youkai would not fall prey to your Aliens so easily; are you so concerned about humans to go into a goose chase that could very well consume years of your life, if not more?"

"If they are really here, somewhere, I have to destroy them. Maybe…"

"Maybe?"

"Maybe if we follow Bokusenou's advice and go to this place you come from, I could learn more about that-"

He didn't give her the chance to finish her phrase; he rose, and left her. Stunned by his highly unusual behavior, Kitana looked at his departing back, at the way his hair brushed on the underside of his knees as he set one foot before another, and there was only one word that came to her mind.

"Jerk…"


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 24**

Kitana had had enough.

They had left Bokusenou's strange valley two days ago, wandering back into known territory first by the air, and now by foot. She followed Sesshomaru in her own way, sometimes amongst the group, sometimes on her own on a parallel course if she ever needed loneliness. It irritated him when she left though; of course he didn't say a word, but she could feel his resentment from a distance and his relief at her return was nothing but subtle. The link between them had yet to fade and the taiyoukai was very much aware of the connection, knowing perfectly well by then how he could affect her with his moods. But on this late morning, the one who was near exasperation was not the youkai.

When they passed for the second time before the beautiful waterfall encased between two high rocky walls in a deep part of Inuyasha's forest, where the moss that clung to the dark grey rock was such a luxuriant green it gave the impression of being in a tropical forest, she didn't gave it a second thought. Of course he could make them pass twice on the same path, especially when he was following a particular scent on the wind. What scent she wouldn't know, and there were no wind on this hot day, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt and kept quiet.

Up until the third time. When she heard the distinct rumble of the water rushing upon the rocks before crashing down in a deep pool of water, she saw red. From her perch in the canopy of a large oak, she jumped from tree to tree before finally reaching her destination. A last leap brought her above a branch that was suspended right in the path of the taiyoukai. As her speed was about to make her miss that perch, she swung her tail and coiled it around the tree limb, and in a graceful rotating movement she fell on her feet just when Sesshomaru arrived at the spot. He stopped dead in his track, looking utterly bored by her display and unaffected in the slightest by her ire; a poker face that was totally betrayed by the impatience that came off from him in powerful waves.

"Okay. I suggest we make camp. Rin is hungry and needs to bath."

Sesshomaru raised a single white eyebrow when his ward answered Kitana's request.

"But Rin just ate -"

The earnest look that Kitana gave her stilled the child's protest.

"Yes Kitana-sama, Rin is very dirty! And there will surely be good fish in the pool of the waterfall, I looked yesterday and I think I saw some! Come, Jaken-sama, help Rin catch some fish!"

The clever kid caught the kappa's sleeve and jumped down Ah-Un's saddle.

"Whaaaaaat! Rin, you crazy human, have you knocked your head!" the kappa said after hitting the ground in a much undignified way. Raising and dusting off his sleeves, he was caught once again in the grasp of the small girl who tugged on his arm repetitively, jerking him forward inch by inch.

"Come, master Jaken! You have to help Rin make the fire to cook the fish!"

As the diminutive youkai passed by them, reluctantly following the enthusiastic child, Kitana's gaze returned to Sesshomaru's questioning features. Sighing, she jumped on the side of a tree, where she sat comfortably on her heels four feet from the ground. Her eyes now level with his companion's, she spoke her mind.

"What's wrong, Sesshomaru?"

The taiyoukai frowned slightly at her question but did not deign to honor her with an answer. On the contrary, he insulted her by starting to walk in the direction his followers had taken.

A hiss and the whipping of a strong skeletal tail on the ground right before him stopped him again, but this time a feral growl escaped his lips. One did not act this way toward him without consequences, and the perpetrator of this vile act soon found herself rammed into the tree with a set of poisonous claws tightly encircling her neck.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes, and her irritated glance was returned tenfold by her aggressor. Nonetheless, she didn't give up and submit to his will; this overgrown mutt had to learn that violence wasn't the best way to deal with her, however stronger than her he was.

She held on the tree with her hands as she placed both of her three-toed clawed feet flat against Sesshomaru's body armor and pushed as hard as she could. She was weaker than he was, but he didn't expect this kind of treatment and his surprise gave her the opening she needed; using him as a stepping board, she propelled herself higher up in the tree's foliage, hanging upside down on a large branch that overlooked her opponent.

"If you have a problem Sesshomaru, better say it out loud than attacking me out of the blue! You are not acting like yourself, and if you don't want to tell why, then quit it and go back to normal at once!"

"Insolent wench! Who do you think you are to speak to me like that? You will learn your place!"

His claws were glowing an unhealthy green as he prepared to unleash his whip at her. Surprisingly, Kitana didn't react to this sight by fleeing away like she usually did; instead, she calmly unfolded her body and descended on the ground once more, her features calm and composed. The insufferable link they shared came into play when he received her soothing, calming emotions; emotions that he didn't want to feel at all, not now, not then.

"I think I am your friend, Sesshomaru, or at least something approaching a friend. My place so far seems to be by your side, but I won't be led blindly by someone who doesn't even know what he is doing! You appear to be lost, you are confused and angered and I won't let you get this anger out on me. So speak or get a grip; either way, I'll be waiting for you with Rin and Jaken."

On these words she left and he let her go, bewildered and lost in thoughts.

**SSSSS**

Just as she started to walk toward Rin, Kitana sensed a group of familiar energy signatures in the vicinity. Sure enough when she arrived in the clearing not too far from the noisy waterfall, she caught a funny sight.

Rin was happily chatting with the priestess Kagome, while Sango turned fish over the fire under the hungry eyes of Shippo and Inuyasha. Miroku was sitting not far from them, one of his ofudas stuck to the forehead of the kappa. An area of burned bushes and leaves at the periphery of the small clearing explained Jaken's situation; if he dared attack them he entirely deserved to be contained that way.

"Hi Kitana! Nice to see you!"

It was Kagome, of course; as usual Sango tensed when she saw the approaching creature and Inuyasha and Shippo sat down warily, still not too far away from the promised meal. Surprised was mixed with distrust in Inuyasha's mind, and Kitana couldn't start to understand why. After all, she travelled with Rin and they had joined the child, did he expect her to be absent?

"Hi everyone! Kagome, nice to see you to! I did not expect to run into you here; that forest is quite deep and can be dangerous."

"Lady Kitana, you wound my heart when you imply that we are not strong enough to withstand travelling here; beside, we are returning home for a while and Edo's village is right at the edge of this forest, about an hour of walk away from here."

"Please forgive me Miroku; I wouldn't want you to take my comment that way." She turned back to Kagome. "If you allow me to ask, are you returning home, Kagome?"

"Yes I am, for three days; you see I took summer class this year so I could catch up with the rest of my class. The final exams are coming and they will hold preparatory examinations tomorrow."

"I see; well in that case shouldn't you be studying while we prepare the meal?"

"Keh, the wench has been studying for days now; I don't see how a few hours would change anything."

Kagome turned a murderous look toward Inuyasha, who crossed his arms and raised his chin in the air.

"The fish is ready, everyone! And there is plenty of it, so don't start fighting with Shippo, Inuyasha!" said Sango while she sat down beside the monk. As a slap resounded in the clearing, the group gathered around the fire and started to distribute fish. The hurt monk removed the immobilizing ofuda from Jaken, allowing him to join the meal even if he grumbled and ranted all along.

Kitana joined Rin's side by the fire Jaken had promptly built, the young child happily eating a fish while the woman lied on her back, her arms crossed behind her head as she watched the dance of the sparks above the fire. The fire filled the air with crackling and sizzling sounds, accompanied in the background by the chaotic but pleasant discussions of the group of travellers. The only thing that disrupted the peacefulness of the moment was when the ravenous Jaken tugged on a fish with Shippo before winning the fight and eating his third portion of fish, and no one wanted to stop him for at least with his mouth full he wasn't complaining about anything. As she finished her meal, the child turned her attention toward her black skinned companion.

"Is Sesshomaru-sama angry, Kitana-sama? Rin spared a fish for him but maybe Master Jaken will have to eat it instead."

Turning her head toward the girl, she smiled at her and answered her plea for reassurance.

"Don't worry Rin, Sesshomaru is close by. He has some things to look at before joining us, that's all."

"About that… We met a friend of us, a wolf demon named Kouga, and he told us that he saw you get into a fight with Sesshomaru. According to him, you were not having the upper hand at all. He did not stay until the end, but we have been worried about you for a while." Sango's stern tone of voice made it clear to Kitana that she was in fact demanding what happened, not merely voicing her worry, which was in fact non existent.

"Yes my Lady, and earlier when Inuyasha came back from patrolling around the camp and told us he met with Rin, then saw you fight with Sesshomaru, we were very surprised and relieved! I am inclined to think that Kouga might have mistaken you for another."

Kitana turned a smiling face toward the monk and the slayer before addressing Inuyasha.

"When you saw us, we were merely arguing, Inuyasha. And it is true that we stumbled upon Kouga and his companions; what they witnessed was only a misunderstanding. You know as well as me that if we had fought, I wouldn't be here at this moment."

"Keh! I don't know, you could have toasted the bastard's ass back on the rat mountain; I wouldn't be too fast to bet on him winning a fight against you."

"Well, I hope you'll never have to take such a bet."

"Anyway, my asshole half-brother is nowhere around here so I'll have to wait to see that happen. That argument of yours was rather heated if you get what I mean; I don't think we'll see him anytime soon, so give me his fish brat!"

The small Rin was surprisingly faster than the hanyou and managed to get the sole fish away from Inuyasha's grasp.

"Sesshomaru-sama often needs to be by himself, but he always return."

She turned her deep hazel eyes and met with Kitana's black and golden ones as she spoke eagerly.

"But if you are angry at each other, maybe he won't want to come back. Maybe it would be better not to be angry; Rin prefers when you like each other."

"Nobody is truly angry, Rin; often grown-ups need time to adjust when new situations arise. He simply needs to take a decision, and you know him, once it's done he will be here with you."

A huge toothy smile appeared on the youngster's features and she turned toward Inuyasha, handing him the fish she had been protecting so fiercely from him moments ago.

"Here, Inuyasha-san. Sesshomaru-sama doesn't like human food anyway."

The hanyou didn't wait for the kid to change her mind, and before Shippo or Jaken could chime in, he devoured the offered food.

"So guys, anything new about Naraku?"

On these words, a weight seemed to appear onto everyone's shoulders. The small group of friends looked at each other sadly, then at the ground.

"No, nothing new. No new shards, no sightings of him. There is just Kouga who met with Hakudoshi and this new incarnation, if it is one. We were trying to track them down, they are less elusive than Naraku, but then my test was approaching so we decided I would go back home while everyone would take some days of rest."

Kitana nodded at Kagome's words.

"I see. Well, maybe Kouga told you, but be careful when you face the kid and the Moryoumaru; there is something about this youkai that I can't place. He is dangerous."

"Feh! As if we don't know that! When I see this detachment, I'll first thank it for the good beating he gave to the wimpy wolf before I tore it apart!"

The hanyou's words and pumped up attitude made everyone smile, somehow relaxing the atmosphere.

"Are you far from your destination, Kagome? I am interested in seeing this time portal of yours, if you don't mind. I could do with a change of companions for a few days; mine seem to be particularly grouchy at the moment."

Jaken chocked on his fish at these words, trying to defend his master's honor while not sending food down the wrong hole.

"We are close by, Kitana; we should reach the place tonight if we hurry. You can come along, but as I told you before the well has only ever accepted me and Inuyasha."

It was now to Sango and Inuyasha to turn respectively white and red under Kagome's words.

"Kagome, are you sure it is a good idea? Knowing about the well is one thing, seeing its location is another…"

"Sango, if Kitana meant any harm to us, she would have done it already, isn't it right Kitana? Besides we are almost there, so why refuse?"

Kitana smiled to Kagome, ignoring the hostile attitude of the other members of her group.

"Thank you, Kagome. I am honored by the trust you put in me, and I look forward to this little… exploration."

As she said these words, she sensed that Sesshomaru had begun to move toward them, fast; when she turned to look down the path leading to the waterfall, she saw him emerging from the shadows of the forest, heading straight at her. Inuyasha jumped right back on his feet and unsheathed his sword, but his brother did not care about his provocative attitude. He stopped beside the black skinned female, towering over her lying form as she didn't care to rise for him.

"Follow me. Jaken, you will stay with Rin. Make sure she is safe."

"But, but, Sesshomaru-sama!"

A severe look silenced the servant who shut his mouth in fear of punishment.

"Rin will wait for you, Sesshomaru-sama, Kitana-sama! We will all wait for you together, Master Jaken, Ah, Un and Rin!"

Sesshomaru nodded at the child before looking down again at his partner, who was only frowning and not the least interested at rising and following him blindly around.

"What is your problem, Sesshomaru? I just arranged a few days with Kagome and her friends and you think you can change that and order me around?"

His eyes reduced to a dangerous glare, he simply looked at her, letting the atmosphere in the clearing reach freezing temperatures before speaking.

"I am going where you wanted so much to go; whether I travel alone or accompanied, it is your choice, woman."

He turned his back on the group and left them as silently as he arrived. Kitana rose to follow the departing youkai, even though she was pissed by his attitude. She would never get him to open up and speak his mind and she knew it, but she was getting tired of having to endure his stubborn and proud nature. She needed a break from him and his moods, she needed their link to vanish, she needed… She didn't know what exactly, but it was clear that blindly following an infuriating stuck-up demon lord was exactly the contrary of what she wanted to do. Nonetheless, she rose and followed anyway, debating with herself whether she was sane or totally inane to do so.

"Well, I am sorry Kagome, guys, but it will have to be for another time. I wish you luck for your exams Kagome! And Rin, be good with Jaken!"

"It's okay, Kitana, I understand… We will look after Rin if you want."

Kitana was already leaving, but as she turned to answer she heard the words of the child.

"Does it mean that Rin could play with Shippo and see his tricks and eat Pocky with him again?"

"Yes it does, Rin-chan, although I will have to restock Pocky and other goodies while I am at home."

The black female bowed to Kagome and her companions before leaving the ecstatic child with her new friends and hurrying to join Sesshomaru.

He was waiting for her at the place where they quarrelled earlier on, and she was surprised to see Sesshomaru turn to face her and extend his arm to her. Puzzled, she cocked her head to the side and frowned. He frowned in return, suddenly appearing tense, worn out and tired.

"Come."

He advanced toward her when she refused to move, worried by his attitude. He exuded a resignation that she couldn't understand and it put her on edge. He was not one to feel defeated usually, and she could not see what battle he lost for it was an inner one. Now standing straight in front of her, the taiyoukai encircled her waist with his arm and tugged her closely to his armored chest, not caring about her futile resistance to his actions.

"What are you doing Sesshomaru?" she asked when he pressed her even stronger against him, his fur pelt now immobilizing her; her hands on his chest plate were now the only thing that separated them, her confused eyes being mere inches below his bland, golden ones.

"Hold on tight."

As more questions were about to spill out of her mouth, she stared wide-eyed at her companion. Suddenly, his youki flared all around him, furiously agitating his silver hair and a crimson color seeped into his eyes, eating all the warm gold of his irises. Right in front of her, his teeth lengthened and the corners of his mouth broke out in a large, wolfish grin up to his ears. She held her breath when she realized that they had left the ground to travel through the sky at a great speed when the transformation started, and her hands found their way around his neck, clenching tightly into his fur. It was no more clothes that adorned his form, but the thick, lush fur of his animalistic form. She felt his grip on her relinquish as his members lengthened and morphed into paws, and she climbed upon what was now the broad neck of a giant white haired dog running through the skies, his back legs and tail merging with a cloud of white youki.

No word could describe the feelings that coursed into her at that moment. Wind hit her face as they crossed the skies at a tremendous speed, the strong muscles of the youkai shifting and contracting below her to propel them forward, and her hands dug deeper in the fur to take a better grip. Why he did not warn her about his intentions was beyond her understanding, but Kitana was more concerned about the reasons of his strange actions than the way he imposed them upon her. She had seen his canine form twice in the last weeks, and both time it was in a heated battle; what could have pushed him to undertake such a change when no threat was perceptible?

The faraway ground disappeared below them as they entered a cluster of large cumulus. The moisture of the air impregnated the fur of the youkai and soon cold droplets of water condensed on Kitana's sun warmed ebony form. She was trying to wipe them out when her eyes caught a sight that made her forget all about her small discomforts.

Appearing amongst the clouds as a jewel suddenly shining from its opened case was a pure white marble stairway. The stairs climbed high, disappearing into the clouds, and the place they led to was still not visible to her eyes. On each side of it were regular rows of grades elegantly decorated with alabaster balustrades. Straining her eyes, she distinguished guards standing stiffly on the grades, each of them wearing armor not dissimilar to Sesshomaru's own and holding a pointed or half-moon bladed spear. She could clearly feel their energy now that they approached, and decided that they were probably youkai, too strong to be humans, but far from the level of Sesshomaru, or even herself.

Sesshomaru landed on the lower step of the grand stairs and as he did, he transformed back into his humanoid form. Kitana was still held firmly by both his arm and his pelt, but as he felt that she regained her balance, he released her.

She could feel a slight anxiety coming from the taiyoukai, and she did her best to send him calmer waves of emotions; this state of mind didn't fit him at all, and she couldn't help but wonder what in the world could make Sesshomaru worry. As she pondered that thought, her companion took a step forward, starting his ascension toward whatever laid at the top of the stairs. Turning her attention to the summit, Kitana sensed a strong presence, much stronger than any of the guards who stood near her, impassibly, but still weaker than her partner. Was it the source of his discomfort?

She joined him hastily and started climbing the stairs steadily by his side, her curiosity getting the best of her. As they progressed further on the path to the top, she noticed that his already serious stance took on a more rigid form. From time to time he shot her an irritated side glance, especially when she dared ask him a question.

"Where are we, Sesshomaru, and why are we here?"

He narrowed his eyes and shot forward, flicking a loose strand of hair back in its place. She almost sighed, feeling how much his nervousness had increased when she spoke and deciding that she would instead see for herself rather than ask him once again. Or maybe turn tail and leave, so he could see that there were more unpleasant things in life than being spoken to.

As they almost reached the top though, her irritation gave way to curiosity once again as she noticed that the armor of the guards were now much more intricately decorated than what she had seen on the former soldiers. These guards seem to be some kind of an elite troop, as she could sense from their stronger energy signatures. Sensing what could only be their master waiting for them at the top of the stairs, she began to share Sesshomaru's uneasiness. What kind of monster could spark such feelings in her partner, she wondered.

Just before they could peer over the last step, the taiyoukai turned toward her and whispered a few words that froze her on the spot.

"Be wary of what is ahead."

Shaking herself mentally, Kitana summoned her courage and shook off the dreaded feeling that coursed through her when she heard the few words from her companion. She continued forward, climbing the few last steps between her and whatever was waiting for them.

The sight that met her eyes when they reached the top of the gigantic stairs wasn't remotely similar to what she expected. The stairs opened up onto a very large courtyard with a splendid manor right in front of them. The magnificent building had a high-rising inclined roof that probably held at least three stories, but only the first one was visible from the front. A set of double wooden doors were opening right in the middle of the façade, and a porch ran all the way along the front and visible sides of the manor. There were other buildings further away, beside and behind the main construction, but Kitana's attention was not focused onto them at all; for before her, sitting in a huge throne set in the courtyard halfway between them and the entrance of the manor, was a small woman that exuded royalty and aristocracy with her eyes glued to her.

The similarities between the noble woman and the taiyoukai were too numerous to count; long silver hairs encasing a sharp and intelligent face, golden eyes, cheek markings and pointed ears were the first elements that struck her. A lush fur pelt, identical to Sesshomaru's one, unfurled upon her lap from both her shoulders so she could rest her arms upon it, before descending down on the ground to wrap around her hidden feet. A white and midnight blue multi-layered silk kimono with a pattern of butterfly along the rim of the sleeves and a large, gold-encased jewel hanging around her neck were emphasizing the importance and greatness of the being that wore them.

"Sesshomaru. It is unlike you to come here like that, unannounced."

Kitana's eyes opened minutely upon hearing the sugary, yet caustic tone of the woman; very few, namely she and Inuyasha, would dare omit the honorific title when addressing the taiyoukai. Yet, this small slip of a female did so and, surprisingly, Sesshomaru didn't react at all.

"Do I need an invitation to enter my own home, Mother?"

The casual, bored tone of Sesshomaru paired with his earlier warning succeeded to keep Kitana's astonishment in check; she managed not to move a single muscle even though the thought of meeting with Sesshomaru's mother was unnerving, to say the least. Her imagination was running wild, now that she knew for sure he wasn't born of thin air like whatever theories he shared with her about the origins of youkai. He had a biological mother, probably a father; he had been a kid. The woman in front of her saw him grow from a child to a warrior, but for whatever reason Sesshomaru was terribly distrustful of her. The situation demanded utmost caution, if his opinion of his mother was right; and he was not one to be wrong about anything.

A coy smirk reached the lips of the fur-clad female, as she answered her son.

"Of course no, my son. It has been a long time however since your last visit, and I wonder what brings you here in such haste that you can't even warn me in advance so I can get everything prepared for your arrival."

It was Sesshomaru's turn to let a feeling appear on his features, although it was more irk than mirth that reached his eyes.

"For two days now I have been asking for the appearance of the castle; this is enough announcements."

The venomous smile of the woman widened.

"Indeed."

Then her gaze settled on the female standing beside her son, and the smile went down a notch, replaced by a disdainful look.

"But I did not know how to handle your new… infatuation. Had I known you were seeking the touch of a female, I would have found you a better one. But there you go, taking everything in your own hands so to speak, and mingling with a low-life youkai harboring so little power she can't even be sensed. Is that befitting for my son?"

Sesshomaru's brows frowned minutely.

"Nonsense. Kitana-sama is nothing of the sort. You are mislaid."

"Sama?"

The beautiful lady quirked an eyebrow in surprise, before schooling her face back in an arrogant glance.

"Let me judge for myself. Please forgive my ignorance, girl, I don't engage with the likes of you usually so I wouldn't know who or… what, you are. Could you enlighten me, dear?"

This was the moment Sesshomaru had been warning Kitana for. He needed her by his side for this task, but he knew how sly and formidable an opponent his mother could be if she set her mind against his partner. Calling forward all the calm and serenity that he could find to try and muzzle the acidic words that would surely be spelt from the creature's mouth if he could judge by her terrible mood at the moment, he was taken aback by her answer.

Kitana started by bowing toward his mother and answering in a low and respectful tone of voice, never making eye contact with the silver haired female.

"I will do my best, my Lady, but my people are very seldom known here. I am merely a lowly travelling companion to the great Sesshomaru-sama."

The use of the highly respected honorific, sama, in conjunction with her name had stunned her a little bit, especially coming from the taiyoukai, and she would try her best to impress upon the woman who called him a son.

Somewhat reassured by her acting talent, Sesshomaru braced himself for what was to come as he witnessed the lightly furrowing of his mother's brows.

"Seldom known you say? Do you dare insulting the vastness of my knowledge, youkai? Name yourself!"

Sesshomaru cringed internally, but Kitana was sending him amused feelings; how disturbing.

"Pardon me, my Lady. I am named Kitana, and my people call themselves –"

She did it; she said the very same, strange word that Sesshomaru heard on the day of her awakening. That time though, the taiyoukai was ready for it and he did not let the word affect him in the way it did before; only the hairs on his nape reacted by erecting instinctively, nothing else. Instead he focused his attention on the totally foreign inflexions, the way she used her tongue, lips, teeth and especially inner jaw to modulate the sound and create that terrible word. Then, realization dawned on him: Tsowandar. If he ever took a fancy in trying to replicate the word, lacking the physiological structures necessary to add the hissing, the staccato and the growling that Kitana was able to do, the best approximation he could get was Tsowandar. How strange.

His mother and her guards though were not prepared for the word, and it pleased him immensely to smell their fear in the air, to feel their fright through his bond with Kitana. His mother was not one to be impressed easily, and seeing her defeated by a mere word was a pleasure he never thought he would indulge in. How fierce would the retaliation be though, he dared not imagine.

"Silence!"

Sitting more squarely on her throne, the noble woman was irked by her reaction to the sayings of the ebony creature, and the heavy whisperings from her guards and retainers was too much for her to endure. As they obeyed her command, she brought her eyes back on Kitana's bowing form, mirth having left her eyes to be replaced by fury.

"Your people must be truly insignificant and few, for you were right, youkai; I never heard of them."

Sesshomaru kept his glance on his mother all along, relieved to see her attention come back to him; his face was as stern as ever, even with Kitana's delight coursing through his veins.

"So, my son, will you tell me the reason of your visit? Or are you just here to entertain me with your new… pet?"

"Ridiculous; Kitana-sama is anything but an entertaining creature."

The annoyance of his partner as she heard his words hit him and a smirk almost reached the corner of his mouth; he refrained it though, his mother being too observant to allow her any power over him by reading his emotions. He needed to honor her through the proper channels if she was to be accepted at this court, yet he did not want to show her how she really deserved that honorific. Harmless teasing it was, unnoticed by anyone but them.

"The whereabouts of a certain hanyou named Naraku are certainly common knowledge for your numerous spies; that is what I am here for."

The dirty little smile was back on the woman's lips.

"A hanyou, Sesshomaru? Are you falling so low, my son, that you cannot even find a mere half human?"

Sesshomaru knew better than to let his anger prevail in this place.

"The creature is cunning, mother, and knows ways to evade my senses. I doubt, however, that he is prepared to be tracked by other kinds of youkai. I am asking for the assistance of this court."

The woman stayed pensive for a moment, her eyes dancing between her son and the black skinned one that called herself a companion.

"Very well, son, I will see what I can do."

She then rose and walked to the main building, his guards following after her, and disappeared between the huge wooden doors. Sesshomaru stayed in place tough, as he knew a servant would be sent to them and it would be ill advised to wander his mother's castle with a newcomer without her consent.

Kitana, on the other hand, had no such inhibitions and she went directly in front of Sesshomaru, eager to get her answers. She had yet to say a word when the taiyoukai interrupted her in a tone that allowed no commentary.

"Later."

The sight of Kitana with her mouth still opened, unpronounced words falling over each other on the tip of her tongue and her annoyance reaching new heights pushed the taiyoukai to give her a little more information, in a hushed tone.

"We are in the nest of a viper, Kitana. You will receive information later; I need to take care of some matters urgently and I will join you afterward."

She managed not to lash at him in frustration when she heard someone coming at them. Turning around, she saw a small white haired girl, a little older than Rin, clad in a white and pink kimono and standing mere feet from them. She was so caught in her anger that she had let the approach of this youkai evade her senses.

The girl bowed low before them, before addressing them with a tiny, shy voice.

"Sesshomaru-sama, if you want to follow me, I have been instructed to lead you to the rooms that have been prepared for you and your guest."

The taiyoukai eyed the diminutive creature warily; his mother was not one to be served by weaklings of any sort, including children.

"Which rooms?"

"Your own room is ready for you, and a second room has been prepared in the West wing for your –"

"Unacceptable."

The girl stuttered, unprepared for his refusal.

"My Lord?"

Sesshomaru's cold glare threatened to freeze the servant on the spot, if she dared to refuse his request.

"You will give Lady Kitana This Sesshomaru's room. I will occupy my father's room and office."

That being said, he left both girls to their astonishment and walked toward the western buildings, soon disappearing around a corner.

"My Lady… If you would follow me…"

Kitana was brought back to reality and she trailed behind the little servant, wondering why she ever had the desire to be a part of Sesshomaru's group. The guy was nothing but an arrogant prick doubled with an ego as large as a mountain and the combination of the two traits wasn't very nice. Sighing, she tried to engage her young guide in a conversation, but soon found out that it wouldn't be a very pleasant activity either.

"So, what's your name?"

"My Lady… Forgive me, but I have been forbidden to answer your questions."

Surprised, Kitana tried to push the matter a little further.

"By whom? Why?"

"Those are exactly the type of questions I can't answer. Now if you want to enter, this room is yours. There is a garden accessible by the door at the opposite side of the room; you are allowed to spend time there would you need entertainment."

"Allowed? Entertainment? What kind of entertainment is there in a garden, anyway?"

Instead of answering, the young girl bowed, not as low as she did toward Sesshomaru, and left her to her musings.

"Well, I guess I'll have to see for myself. Thanks for the chatter, anyway!" she told the retreating servant, who didn't react to the bitter remark.

She turned toward the building that towered over her. It was a small one, built in the same white marble and alabaster as the rest of the place. She was still standing in the flagstone courtyard, the balcony than ran around the building a little above waist-height. In a jump she climbed upon it, before opening the sliding wooden door that led to her chamber which was the last one of a series of three.

The room was large and well lit, with high pane less windows with wooden shutters on the southern side of the room, which faced the gardens. The furniture, namely a futon and a low table, were plain but of very high quality, made of costly mahogany woods. The sheets of the double futon were of white linen embroidered with deep red cherry flowers, and a teak partition screen carved with beautiful flowering cherry trees hid the left corner of the room from the view.

Bored and not recognizing anything from Sesshomaru's personality in his supposed room, Kitana opened the backdoor and set foot in the garden. Enclosed in high walls was a small shrubbery forest with cherry trees. The season being advanced they were not flowering anymore, but it was obvious that they were not there for the purpose of food production as they were unprotected from the birds that would enjoy ripping them from their fruits in the coming months.

A small rocky path led to a water garden, where a bamboo fountain was rhythmically moving up and down under a continuous stream of water, loudly knocking on itself every time it moved backed up, freed of its water. Kitana decided that if the beautiful but noisy device kept her from falling asleep that night, she would rip it apart.

Deciding to go out and explore the courtyard, she came back inside and opened up the front door only to be faced with two guards crossing their spears before her.

"Sorry, My Lady, but you are not allowed to come out of your room."

Boiling with retained anger, she eyed the guard with the most threatening glare she could summon.

"And why is that so, soldier?"

The two guards looked at each other, obviously not used to this kind of situation.

"It's an order. The courtyard is not safe for a lady to wander around, too many dangers to count. Lord Sesshomaru would be furious against us if something were to happen to his- to you, My Lady."

Her eyes reduced to slits in her anger as she sensed their disgust toward her, and she stormed back inside. So, Sesshomaru left her alone to take care of personal matters without any kind of explanation about her presence in this place and then, guards who despised her wanted to keep her captive in a very boring room with an even more boring garden to occupy herself? They would all learn it was not the best attitude to have toward her.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author's note: I am sorry for the delay in updating and I want to thank you all for your patience, the politeness of your emails is appreciated! Not one flame so far, even after weeks without news, you don't know how good it feels! I will be trying to update more often, but job has gotten hectic now and I can't seem to find time to breath, let alone update my story! Don't worry though, I have many chapters in stock yet, all of them already written down and just needing that extra editing before being posted. Plsea tell me if you like what you read!

**Chapter 25**

Kitana returned to the garden and in a leap, she jumped upon the side of the wall that surrounded it. Crawling upon it she soon reached the top, and then climbed upon the roof of the building itself, looking at her surroundings.

She still couldn't understand how people with as low a level of technology could make a whole castle float in the sky, but it appeared to be true; a great wall of white clouds surrounded the place. The buildings scattered in the courtyard were multiple and she could count at least six of them, apparently all inhabited by youkai of different levels of energy. Sesshomaru was at the opposite end of the place, his energy signature clearly recognizable to Kitana, and his mother, as far as she could tell, was not with him. Her energy was great, but much lower than her son's and she was difficult to distinguish from many of the warriors. All in all, the place was a gathering ground of higher-level youkai, but none of them stronger than her companion.

A particular area of the courtyard, a square building with no windows visible but with an open area in the center, appeared to house a gathering of some sort. She could sense various energy signatures there and a mix of aggressive or combative feelings fuelled by adrenaline. Deciding to start her investigations at this place, she jumped to the ground and made her way to the building, climbing the wall once again instead of confronting the guards standing at the entrance. Decidedly, this place was well protected, and she wanted to see firsthand who could become her enemies.

Once she reached the top of the wall, she discovered that it was not really a building, but rather just a very high square-shaped wall. The purpose of this particular construction was revealed to her: it was an outside dojo. A huge, wide opened place with four slightly elevated square training areas surrounded by the high walls she had climbed.

At the moment, a fight was going on that seemed to attract the attention of everyone. A group of about twenty youkai, all of them muscular males of various origins, was standing at the edge of one of the training rings to have a better view of this fight, enthusiastically cheering and shouting at the opponents but at the same time obscuring Kitana's view. She could easily sense the excitement of the small crowd, as well as the emotions of the fighters; one of them was being beaten up and was starting to exude fear and the other one was almost aroused by the fight, getting a high from the combined effects of adrenaline and victory. Curious about what was so interesting to watch that all these seasoned fighters would stop their training session to look at it, the black skinned creature broke into a four-legged run along the roof to reach a spot where she could get an overview of the scene.

Unnoticed by anyone, she crouched on all four atop the roof, finally getting a glimpse of the action. In the closest corner of the ring, two fighters were sitting back to back in a puddle of their own blood, totally exhausted with their bodies literally covered by small cuts and wounds, but still breathing. In the middle of the ring the battle was raging between what appeared to be a large bull headed warrior who fought with a heavy war-axe, and a small female of an undetermined species, to Kitana's eyes at least.

She slowly descended along the wall to get a better view, and then sat up on her haunches, her feet firmly gripping the side of the wall. The fighter had raven black hairs, spiked and cut about an inch from her skull. She wore black low waist pants that flared at the ankle, letting her bare clawed feet appear and a buttoned-down black sleeveless jacket that covered her down to the navel. Her exposed arms and lower abdomen were very muscular, showing no extra fat and almost sinuous muscles. Strange greyish-brown markings surrounded her eyes and evaded into points toward her pointed ears, giving her a dramatic expression, and a series of a dozen of similarly colored stripes adorned her wrists and ankles, coming closer to each other as they approached her extremities before finally merging on her hands and feet to create a striking contrast of pale and dark skin.

Smirking evilly at her opponent, the diminutive fighter waited until the momentum of the great bull carried him forward at high speed before jumping up in the air and scratching his right arm deeply with her sharp claws. Then, she spun in mid-air and did the same to his broad muscled back. The swiftness and agility of the girl was impressive, and the bull stumbled and almost fell over, before straightening himself for another attack.

Feeling the growing lust that was emitted by the woman, Kitana smirked. It was not uncommon for women to experiment physical pleasure in the heat of a fight, especially women from a lower cast, with no power over anything in their life. These women usually made fierce opponents in battle since they then took the only chance they had at overpowering someone else, and took utmost pleasure in doing so especially when faced with a strong foe. As they did, they often gained respect from their companions or even from the higher ups and climbed in the hierarchy, never letting go of their sadistic ways though.

Examining her fighting style, Kitana determined that this little black-haired thing was exactly this type of opponent; she was taking her time, angering the bull while cutting him open and making him bleed out on the ring. The large youkai was doing his best to lend a blow on the female, in an impressive display of heated muscles and abnormal strength, towering over her and sending his fists and hooves toward her. The agility of the female though outmatched the bull readily, and it was the only thing that kept the small youkai alive; everybody could tell that if a single blow from the bull landed on her, she would be as good as dead. It was probably what was keeping this crowd so enthralled with the battle, seeing the raging bull defeated by a smallish female was as captivating as witnessing the death of the said female if the male could get a grip on her.

Looking back at the two incapacitated fighters still hunched in their corner, Kitana knew that they had indeed tasted the foul medicine of the woman and would soon be joined by the bull if luck didn't leave the woman. The crowd was now shouting at the fighters more than ever, and became hysteric when the small female started to fight with knives instead of her claws, attacking the male in a fury of black and silver. The cuts she made with the knives did not heal as fast as the wounds from her claws, and Kitana thought that the blades must be coated with either an anticoagulating agent or some poison that diminished the potency of youkai healing. Either way, the results were interesting as the large beast was now bleeding heavily from multiple shallow wounds, and had yet to come close enough to the female to touch her, let alone harm her in any way.

As the fight went on, the bull's movements became slower and his breath became labored. His open mouth let go of a whitish foam as his tongue hung on the side, panting from the exertion and the blood loss. His large eyes were now bulging from the pain and the realization that he may very well loose this fight. After a powerful strike toward his elusive enemy, the creature fell on one knee, both his hands lying atop his thigh to prevent him from falling over. Slowly, he got back on his feet, only to be attacked fiercely by the sadistic creature that was his opponent. In a scream that was almost drowned under the cheering from the crowd, he fell over his back, having slipped in the now deep puddle of blackish red blood that covered the arena. A thundering noise resonated on the walls of the dojo when the large body of the bull slammed on the ground, sending blood flying on the nearest observers.

It was hard not to openly cheer up with the rest of the crowd, but Kitana did her best to stay as impassive as she could despite the fun she was having. Of course she felt the growing terror and exhaustion of the bull, but her focus was entirely on the female. Each swipe that met with flesh brought her an undeniable arousal, each drop of blood that hit the ground fed her lust and longing. When the immense creature finally fell down on the ground, the small woman almost reached climax, grinning at the crowd who cheered her name and booed the bull. These waves of guilty pleasure hit Kitana at full strength, and she finally couldn't resist but smirk at the female. When it was clear that the bull wouldn't get up, the winner of the fight walked over to him and placed her left foot on his broad back.

"Do we have another volunteer?"

**SSSSS**

The crowd suddenly hushed down, no one wanting to meet her challenge; after all, the bull was the strongest of them all and couldn't land a punch on this slip of a female.

"No one? Don't be chickens, guys! Come on!"

Most of the spectators turned and left the area, not wanting to be picked as "volunteers". When she saw their reaction, she frowned and then landed a series of hard kicks in the bull's ribs, pushing him until he fell down the ring. The men helped him get on his feet as well as the other two fighters, and accompanied them out of the training area. The remaining spectators scattered across the three other rings, going back to the training they were doing before the show started.

"Impressive display."

Kitana's words reached the little youkai and she turned to face her. Their eyes met, each of them examining the other one, both puzzled and intrigued by what they saw. It appeared that the sight of a black-skinned female, hairless with a crested head, armed with claws and tail and sticking on the middle of a high rocky wall like a fly was not a common occurrence in the castle, for the young youkai was speechless before her. After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally smiled at Kitana, straightening her posture and putting her fists on her hips.

"I was beginning to think you couldn't speak. Not once I heard you cheer on me, nor on the bull for that matter."

It was Kitana's turn to smile, or rather to smirk. A malicious gleam entered her eyes as she answered the youkai.

"One does not need to cheer when the result of a battle is obvious."

The youkai paused and let her eyes wander over Kitana's form, taking into account her bladed tail and lethal claws, and lingering a little bit too long on her curves and feminine forms before returning to her face. The black creature lifted a brow, now knowing exactly what kind of female this one was.

"You are not from around here."

"No, I am not. My name is Kitana."

"I am Sai, pleased to meet you." The woman bowed while keeping eye contact. Her irises were the same color as her markings, creating a stunning effect.

"The pleasure is mine. May I ask you what kind of youkai you are? Your fighting style was quite spectacular, if I dare say."

A small smirk reached Sai's face, and she brought her right hand to her mouth, slowly sucking the blood that coated her fingers.

"I am a marten; what about you? You don't remind me of any youkai I've ever met."

It was Kitana's time to smirk.

"Maybe because I'm foreign."

"Maybe. And would you enjoy a little friendly sparring, Kitana the Foreigner?"

Kitana sat back on her heels, swishing the tip of her tail slowly before her.

"Well, it's not that I would not appreciate, but I am supposed to pretend to be a lady and I doubt a lady would engage in sparring. What do you think?"

Cocking her head to the side, the marten replied.

"Well, if you ask me… Why don't you pretend to be a warrior instead of a lady, just for the time of one battle anyway? It would be much more convincing; with your muscles and claws, you would make a great warrior, and a poor lady."

Kitana contracted her legs and jumped on the ring, crouching low right before the female youkai. Blood splattered around as her feet met the ground, and her claws instinctively dug into the ring to avoid slipping into the crimson liquid.

"Oh, are you implying that I am not a lady, marten? Because it could be considered an insult to my honor."

Smiling widely now, the girl cocked her head to the side.

"And pray tell, what would happen if I were to insult your honor?"

Kitana straightened up her posture, standing firmly before the marten.

"Then as a true lady, I would have to send my champion to teach you a lesson."

"So I guess you could very well consider what I said to be an insult. Where is your champion? I can't wait to fight him."

The short-haired woman made a turn upon herself, slowly scrutinizing the crowd that was starting to gather again around the ring.

"I think he is busy elsewhere. He is a jerk anyway; I don't think he would give his best in defence of my honor. Or even raise a finger. It appears I will have to fight you by myself."

"To regain your honor?"

"Of course; why else?"

"Why else, indeed!"

Both women were now smirking at each other; a pair of dangerous looking smiles, not something that would give warmth to a loved one. The crowd was now growing, becoming even bigger than when Sai first fought against the males and now at least thirty youkai of various species were gathered around the ring. Many of them were dog youkai of different colors, but none sported a fur pelt or white hairs like Sesshomaru and his mother. They were soldiers, all of them, and as distractions were scarce they gladly accepted the little excitation a good sparring match would bring them; especially when the sparring partners were females, and when the sparring ground was slippery with blood.

Acclamations were now being heard louder and louder as the crowd heated up, and Kitana and her opponent took up their battle stance; the black skinned creature crouched low to the ground, one of her hands making contact with the surface of the ring while her tail started swishing in the air around her, and the mustelid female simply backed one foot down and prepared to pounce on her adversary.

Sai was the first to strike, swiftly running to Kitana's crouched form. The skeletal tail moving faster as she approached, she couldn't land a direct blow but she was far from being out of options. With a laugh, she used her demonic speed to move away from Kitana's front, before falsely attacking from the side, then the back. The black-skinned creature was not gifted with youkai abilities and speed, and hours of practice against a certain taiyoukai taught her that on open ground, without any place to hide or duck behind, she was no match for such an attack.

With an unbelievable speed, the marten managed to jump in between two passes of the deadly tail and sprang her claws, savagely racking them onto her opponent's skin. The ebony girl didn't even try to avoid the attack, or to retaliate; she stood there, her smirk growing more evil each time a new swipe was sent at her.

The short-haired woman was surprised; she was sure that she put all her strength in that series of attacks and she had yet to break the skin. More, her claws were almost sore, as if she tried to claw a boulder or rock. She paused for an instant, glaring at her adversary.

"What's going on, marten? You like to make your victims bleed, and you can't do that to me, can you? Does it turn you off?"

The provocative tone of the woman fuelled the desire to fight of the small youkai; she backed up a little and smiled at Kitana before dashing forward, all claws ready to strike.

"We'll see if I can't make you bleed!"

Kitana returned the smile; the youkai had taken the bait and her emotions were now flooding her senses, adding a twist to the sparring that she hadn't experienced for a long time. Aggressive sadistic females were worthy opponents most of the time, and she loved feeling the unbridled lust of the fighter wash over her. She wasn't one to take pleasure while fighting, but indulging in the feelings of others and allowing their sensations to merge with hers from time to time was a treat that she couldn't reject. The experience would be interesting.

Attacks started to rain on her anew, but this time she was not a passive target. Tense muscles came into play and she leapt in the air, effectively avoiding and dodging many of Sai's swipes. Not once did she try to fight back though; staying out of the range of Sai's attacks was her resolve.

Contrarily to what one would have thought considering Sai's performance with the bull and the sensations she got when her claws or knives tore his flesh apart, the strategy was effective; paradoxically, each time one of her attacks met with air, Sai's pleasure increased. It was clear that the little slip of a woman did not meet such challenges on a regular basis, and unleashing her full range of offensive moves without having to think about defending herself was extremely pleasant to her. Kitana knew that men surely did not like to fight her; men usually get angry when their blood is drawn and charge with all their might, forcing their opponent to assume a defensive position. Fighting was obviously an intensely enjoyable hobby to Sai and the black-skinned female wanted to help her reach new heights of pleasure.

Suddenly though, her fun was cut short as the very tip of a razor sharp claw made contact with Kitana's left cheek. Her skin, unprotected by the armor that covered her body, tail and limbs, broke under the strike and her yellow acidic blood escaped, pressurized, coating the offending finger.

The scream of pain of the marten was heard by everyone around, and the acclamations of the crowd only grew louder. Kitana, on the other hand, was not pleased by the outcome; knowing too well that her blood would ate away at any matter it would find, especially living flesh and up to the wrist if it could, she grabbed Sai's arm and brought the wounded appendage inside her mouth, coating in with saliva and sucking at it, trying to remove all traces of acid. The small cut on her cheek was already mending itself, and one would wonder how such a seemingly insignificant wound would create such a commotion.

Sai did not intend to let her act that way though, and in a panic she started to push and strike at her mindlessly, trying to disengage from the contact. Kitana wouldn't let her go; she could feel the flesh of the finger dissolving in her mouth and if her salvaging tentative did not work, she would have to cut it to stop the advance of the corrosive blood. It was not the best moment to fight against the owner of the said finger, and so, almost sighing, she caught the other arm of the girl and ensnared her legs with her tail, effectively trapping her in her grip.

The screaming youkai was not submissive to her generous efforts to help her though, and she started trashing and jumping, her feet still touching the ground. Loosing her balance, Kitana fell to the ground beside the girl and they rolled on the ground, both of them now covered from head to toes in the clotted blood from the previous battles.

Irked by the mess in which she was now in, she took a firm grip on Sai's forearm and broth it to the young youkai eyes, while she held her other arm firmly against the ground by her side, rolling the youkai on her back. She looked at the marten angrily.

"You will stop that, Sai. I'm trying to help, don't you see? Your finger will be fine; the bone is intact even if there is not much flesh left on it. Be happy that you did not loose it, nor your hand or your arm. My blood is not meant to be spilled."

Upon hearing these words, the girl stopped fighting altogether; her face turned very pale, making her markings come out even more strikingly, and she whispered in an eerie tone.

"I… did not know…"

Kitana relaxed her grip over her and cocked her head to the side.

"Of course you did not know; I did not intend to let you cut me, I was caught unaware. But now you do. I will expect a greater respect for my skin in the future."

As she was about to rise, Kitana sensed a change in the atmosphere. The crowd had grown totally silent, and looking up she saw that they were not even looking at the fight anymore, even turning their backs to them. Confusion filled her, and then was replaced by irritation and anger as a white form joined them on the ring.

Half-lidded golden eyes met with her astonished black and gold ones.

"You will cease that immediately."

The tone of voice was cold enough to make her shiver; the utter boredom contained in these few words, combined with the strength in which they were spoken, let no place for misinterpretation for anyone who knew Sesshomaru; those who would not obey would die.

**SSSSS**

After he took the decision to meet with his mother, Sesshomaru's day had only gone from bad to worse. After he let Kitana, he visited the entire compound in search for the captain of the guards, who was once serving under his father, and thus supposedly loyal to his son. To his annoyance, he only found out that the youkai had been dismissed of his function a century ago, and sent as the commandant of a garrison at the border with the Eastern territories. His mother had also taken great care to replace every competent youkai of the place by corrupted fools who would act as her eyes and ears if need be. To his dismay, his search for someone trustable with knowledge of the fortress inner workings had yielded no results.

Then as the hour passed, his emotional link with Kitana started to convey him highly unwanted and unwelcomed feelings of lust, distracting him from the task at end. When a wave of desire hit him as he was following a common soldier to the quarters of the current captain of the guards, and the soldier, a dog himself, turned around to identify the source of the sexual pheromones he was smelling, he decided it was enough. The smile and subtle wink that the now aroused soldier sent his way pushed him over the edge; in an instant poison flowed to his claws and was injected in the guard's flesh, neatly separating his head from his torso. With a disgusted face, he let more poison drip onto the corpse, until he realized that no matter how much he destroyed the offensive man, he would still have to deal with the source of this predicament.

Finally when he stormed in the courtyard in search of the cause of this nightmare, he smelled the typical acidic stench of her blood and he sped up. As he reached for the origin of the smell, which came from the dojo, he was faced with a crowd of stupid males cheering over two females fighting in a large puddle of blood; one of them being no other than his companion. As he approached, he noticed that Kitana was sucking upon one of the struggling female's fingers, eliciting a concert of cheers, clapping and acclamations from the crowd.

As he was about to leap on the ring to stop this ridiculous display, they somehow rolled together on the floor, covering themselves in blood and then stilled. The subdued tone of Kitana's voice reached his ears, but her words were drowned in the sounds emitted by the excited soldiers. His youki flowed from him under his ire, making the last rows of the crowd, then the first ones, turn around to identify the owner of this release of power. Not loosing his time with them, even though he would have loved to gut them all for having witnessed what was going on in the ring, he simply jumped over them all and landed silently beside the now still females.

"You will cease that immediately," he said as he finally reached Kitana, his anger flooding both of their minds.

She slowly rose to her feet, helping Sai to do so as well, but the woman would not comply; instead, she kneeled on the ground, her head bent low in submission, only fuelling her opponent's ire. As she struggled then gave up, the taiyoukai's voice reached her again.

"You are filthy; you were supposed to wait for This Sesshomaru, not engage yourself in such a degrading activity. I expect you to clean yourself and join me; we have much to discuss."

On these words, he turned around to leave, knowing Kitana would surely try to retaliate to his scolding, but it was not her voice that was heard.

"Sesshomaru-sama, please forgive this lowly youkai for having coaxed Kitana-sama into fighting me; had I known her status I would never have done that!"

His bland expression denied the fact that he heard her pleading words, and he did not falter in his steps to answer or even acknowledge her. What was done was done, and now he had little time left to move on before the meeting with his mother's court.

Kitana refrained from speaking her mind in public; she was no lap dog to Sesshomaru, but she had experience with court manners and knew how devastating insubordination could be to a Lord's reputation. The emotions she could feel from him since they set foot on the strange castle's courtyard were very clear: his uneasiness and nervousness told her that they were in enemy territory, alone, and showing a weakness was not allowed here.

The crowd around the ring had started to disperse as soon as Sesshomaru's presence was noticed, and now everyone was apparently minding their own business, practicing in small groups of two or three fighters. By her side, Sai rose to her feet.

"I really am sorry, Kitana-sama; had I known, I would never have pushed you to fight me."

The black creature eyed the girl, taking note of how dirty and ashamed she was. Looking at herself, she saw that she was in a similar condition and sighed.

"No problem. And please, no honorific title with me. I'm fed up with this whole Lady thing. Is there a place where I can clean up?"

"Yes, follow me. There is a place where we can shower in the barracks; you will see, it is very ingenious!"

The system in question was nothing more than a large cistern full of rain water, and bamboo pipes that distributed the cold water to different sections of a large communal room. There were not many female soldiers on the castle's grounds, but they had a small corner closed up just for them and it was there that Sai led Kitana.

While Sai disrobed, Kitana wasted no time and activated the mechanism to rinse off the crusted blood on her body. The water was definitely cold and unpleasant, smelling of algae that probably grew in the sun exposed tank, but she guessed it was better than having to wash from a bucket, which was the norm for those without access to a river or hot spring.

The now naked form of Sai joined her under the stream of water, handing her a bar of crude homemade soap intended for the soldiers' use. As she grabbed the slippery object, she couldn't help but notice how muscled the little marten youkai was. No wonder why she was respected amongst the other soldiers; with a body like that she could put many males to shame. And entice them as well, for she was well-endowed, a rarity in muscular females.

She extended a hand toward the youkai.

"Show me your finger."

The bloody red appendage was terribly maimed but Kitana's first impression was exact: the bone had indeed been spared, and although the claw itself, all the skin and most of the tendons and flesh were gone, the ligaments that joined the phalanges together were all in place.

"Don't worry, in a day or two I will be totally healed."

"Hn. I was wondering if I should have cut it instead. It might have been less painful. Would the bone have grown back?"

The marten shook her head.

"No, it wouldn't. Only amphibian and reptile youkai can grow back an amputated bone, the others can only heal flesh or mend broken bones. I am glad that you did not cut it; holding and throwing a knife would have been awkward without this finger."

Kitana only nodded, before starting to stroke her hands and arms with the soap. Beside her, Sai was doing the same, although more clumsily. It only worsened when the black creature started to scrub her abdomen and chest, before descending to her legs. It was in part due to her harmed finger, but most of her clumsiness was secondary to the fact that her eyes were trained on the wrong soap bar; namely, the one in contact with Kitana's body rather than her own.

When she accidentally let go of her soap for the fifth time, Sai ignored it totally. Kitana was absolutely aware of the attention she received from the young woman, but thought nothing of it; Sai was far from being seductive toward her, rather her inexperience was what showed clearly from her acts. The young marten was mesmerized by her body, her arousal reaching high levels as the soap travelled between muscled thighs and underneath a skeletal tail, but she had no clue what she could or wanted to do about it. And Kitana wasn't the one to help her, although she was amused by the antics of the young youkai.

"You keep your clothes on?"

The black creature smirked; the realization that all this while she had been fantasizing about a clothed woman just came to Sai.

"Yes; they are particular. Nothing reaches under them, so I don't have to take them off to clean."

With a tentative at what she thought was a seductive smile, the marten pushed her questioning further.

"Nothing?"

Instantly feeling the return of her lascivious mood, Kitana smirked again, but she had no more time to waste. Someone important was waiting for her and couldn't be delayed.

"Nothing unwanted…"

Handing the soap bar to the youkai, Kitana turned back toward the exit of the room.

"It has been nice to meet you, Sai. See you around, I guess."

Her eyes trained on her, Sai bowed to Kitana departing back.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 26**

Kitana thought she would have to track Sesshomaru down; it would have been easy, for no youkai was as powerful as him on these grounds. However, it appeared that the taiyoukai had arranged for guards to wait for her at the exit of the training dojos and lead her to his quarters.

The place was not very far from her own room; much closer than the faraway western wing. It was a lone building, smaller than most of the others, but richly adorned. The two story guest house only had one entrance at the front, and the marble and alabaster reigned in all their splendor. A new material distinguished this building from the others; deep green jade adorned the sides of the door and windows, as well as the gutter and columns that held the roof. At the end of the numerous gutters, a carved stylized dog served as a sort of gargoyle to repel the water away from the walls. This place exsuded royalty more than any other of the structures on these grounds.

As they approached, the front door opened, revealing Sesshomaru's waiting form. The guards stopped at the foot of the stairs that led to the balcony and Kitana reached the door by herself.

At her approach, Sesshomaru went back inside the main chamber, walking toward a low table surrounded by large cushions. Kitana followed suit, but as she entered, she was frozen on her feet by an unexpected sight.

The taiyoukai, not hearing her soft footsteps anymore and feeling a strong wave of confusion wash over him, turned around in mild irritation. The girl had wanted explanations since their arrival, and when he was about to give them to her, she lingered on a doorstep?

He paused as he took a look at her. She was looking straight at him, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, with her right hand tightly balled in a fist before her mouth, and she looked as though she was torn between the ideas of running away or tumbling forward. Finally, she did the latter, her legs giving up under her.

Reacting before thinking, Sesshomaru lunged at her and caught her before she hit the ground, snaking his arm around her waist and turning her around so she could sit on his right thigh while being supported by his arm. He stayed there for an instant, kneeling down on his left leg while trying to determine the cause of this ordeal. The intense confusion he felt was becoming his own now, for as far as he could sense she was not hurt nor tired enough to loose her composure in such an unexpected manner.

Not knowing what in his person had caused this reaction, especially since he hadn't changed at all since their last encounter moments ago at the dojos, Sesshomaru fought hard against the desire to cast a look upon his own person. Instead, he adressed the distressed female who was still limp in his hold, her almost panicked eyes fixed on the air behind him.

"What are you doing, woman? Stop being ridiculous."

Kitana's mouth started moving, as if she was speaking, but no word came out of her. As he let one of his brow raise under his bangs, Sesshomaru finally heard a word, a tiny whispered word totally out of context.

"An… Angelus…"

His brow came back down, joining its twin in a severe frown.

"I told you once to stop using that name; I am certainly no angel."

Finally, his words seemed to snap her out of her trance as her confused eyes met with his own stern ones.

"No! Not you! Angelus, there! How?"

And she pointed a shaky finger at him, or more precisely at something right behind him.

He sensed his irritation at her antics growing, as there was nothing behind him other than the very wall of his father's office; not even a window to take a look outside. Feeling as a child who was played a prank upon, he nonetheless turned halfway around to take a look over his left shoulder, almost expecting her to break down in laughter as he played in her game.

But she did not laugh, for it was not just a barren wall that she was pointing at; behind him stood his mighty father in all of his glory, crouched in a fighting stance with his pelts cascading around him, sword ready to clash with an unseen opponent, and his eyes challenging anyone to come closer and attack him.

The artist who did the painting was an excellent one, as every tiny detail of his father's armor and clothing was well rendered; up to his ponytail and the exact tone of his golden eyes, everything was life-like. Even the Tsounga that he held in his right hand appeared malevolent and charged with evil, just as the real one. He remembered himself as a child being impressed by this image of his father, never doing any mischief in his office for fear the artwork would become alive and his father would catch him in the act and punish him. Those were foolish, childish ideas though, and a mere painting should not have such an effect on a grown adult.

Looking back at Kitana, it was clear to him now that the cause of her reaction was the painting. What part of the painting though he couldn't tell; maybe the sword, or the mountainous surroundings?

"How can he be here, on a painting here?"

He schooled his face back into his emotionless mask.

"You are looking at a representation of my father, in his younger days. We are in his office."

She blinked once, then twice, and shifted her attention from the framed artwork to her companion.

"Angelus? Your father?"

She then rose on her feet and approached the painting, before looking back and forth between the father and the still kneeling son.

"Of course" she muttered, "I should have known from the start… You look so much like him…"

"What are you blabbering? You met my father?"

Sesshomaru's face was maybe bland, but his emotions were rolling in a chaos over Kitana; curiosity, anger, happiness, jealousy, sadness, they overcame her and drowned her own confusion. His desire to know more became hers, and fuelled his own back in return.

"Yes, I met with him."

His eyes now fixed upon her, he was waiting for the rest of the explanations.

"I can't believe Angelus is your father. I thought for sure he was… dead. After all the time you said I spent in that cave, it never occurred to me that he could be alive. Is he here? Why are you occupying his quarters?"

"His name was not Angelus, woman. He was the greatest dog general of all times, and would have let no one call him such a ridiculous nickname."

"For me, he is Angelus" she answered sternly. "You talk about him in the past tense, why? Is he alive or … gone?"

Her pleading eyes were daring him to tell the truth about his father's demise, but he did not want to. He wanted to know how they met, in which circumstances, and why he had never heard of her before if his father knew. Then, his memories of the visit to the cocoon cave came back at full tilt; his father definitely knew her. The general had acted stern and even sad all the time they travelled to and stayed at the cave, as if… As if he was mourning a departed friend, maybe? There were so many questions in his head, and so many in her own, fighting to come out first and meet their answer, that neither of them knew where to start.

His hesitation was her answer; she understood. Realization hit her that she had found a link back to her Angelus, but this link was also severed as soon as she stumbled upon it. Sadness and grief overcame her, allowing her memories of times before to come back at full speed, almost knocking her down on her knees again with their unsurmontable weight.

A rattle at the door interrupted them. Not waiting for the people inside to answer, the person outside slammed the pannel to the side, opening the door widely and thus instantly winning the animosity of the taiyoukai and his guest. However, neither of them had time to show the said animosity as the youkai who so disrespectfully announced himself, an ugly old thing that made Jaken a miracle of beauty and charm, claimed the purpose of his visit.

"Our Lady wants you to know that a meeting will be held at the main parlor at sundown. You are expected to be present, Lord Sesshomaru. As for your… familiar, she won't be needed."

Kitana almost shivered when she felt the murderous intent that seeped out of Sesshomaru as he got up; she witnessed as he took the most bored look and tone she had ever seen him take to answer the provocative youkai.

"I heard you, retainer. Tell your mistress that I will attend, as well as Lady Kitana."

"But-"

"That will be all."

That being said, Kitana turned around and in a swipe, she embedded the tip of her tailblade in the door and slammed it shut right in front of the youkai's face.

He nodded, a rare manifestation of his gratitude, then motionned her toward the cushions and the table.

"We have much to share, but foremost you have to know the reason of your presence here. Time is running short; the day is already ending, and we can't be late at my mother's summon."

She sighed audibly, casting a last glance toward the painting hung on the wall before walking up to the table and taking a place directly in front of Sesshomaru. Both of them sat cross-legged on the cushions, Sesshomaru keeping his posture as straight and dignified as ever, while Kitana slumped upon the pillows and crossed her arms on the table, resting her chin upon them. She tried her best to keep her mind and attention upon him, but to no avail; the only thing she could feel was despair, the only beings her mind wanted to acknowledge were the departed ones.

He breathed slowly before explaining himself, gathering his thoughts and trying to push out the dreadful things he received from his partner. He decided that ignoring her misery was not the way to go, for she would be no use to him in that state of mind. As much as he loathed her for forcing him to do so, he summoned calm feelings, hoping to overcome the melancholy that so suddenly affected her. When he felt that a part of her mind was now opening up to him, he started his explanations. Few words came to him, but knowing the inquisitive nature of his ally, he knew they wouldn't be enough and chose to go the lengthy way from the start.

"My mother has access to a wealth of informations; she has eyes and ears everywhere in the country, and could be of a great help in finding the hideaway of the hanyou Naraku."

Kitana shook herself from her memories, pushing her mind not to linger on a long gone and hurtful past.

"She didn't strike me as being malformed or misshappen in any way; are you sure about the number of ears?"

Irritated by her feeble attempt at humor, he calmed his anger before answering; at least she was with him now.

"Do not be a fool; I was speaking metaphorically. She has a network of spies working under her, spread out everywhere and ready to report at the slightest summoning from her."

"Yeah, I understood already. And you think she can make these spies work for you?"

"Perhaps."

"Why ask for help, Sesshomaru? Obviously you do not hold her dear in your heart, and you are not the type of guy to wait for the help of others. Why her help?"

Sesshomaru's disgust at his own attitude, asking for help when he should have been able to act on his own, seeped by every pore of his skin. The creature was insightful; even though she met him only months ago, she knew enough to understand that part of his personality.

"Her resources far outweight those of most youkai I know."

"She will humiliate you; are you ready to pay that cost for mere informations? With enough time, you will find the bastard Naraku by yourself, anyway."

His eyes flashed at the words of the black creature, but he did not uttered a word. Understanding started to dawn upon her.

"It is the time it would take, isn't it? You lack time. Rin… If he attacks her again, he might not keep her alive, isn't this the reason of your precipitation?"

Kitana waited, but as nothing more came, her patience grew thin.

"And why did you think it necessary to grab me and haul me here, where it is evident that I am an unwanted pest? I will only get my ass kicked by your holy mother! What the hell did you think?"

An evil smirk unexpectedly reached Sesshomaru's lips, as he imagined his mother trying to kick Kitana; she would be in for a few surprises.

"My mother, although dog youkai, can be compared to a spider sitting in the center of a web of deceit. She has an uncanny habit of challenging my abilities, and her challenges are the deadly type. I have no trust to loose on her, no more than on any of her servants and spies."

"So… Why come here in the first place if you don't trust any of them? And what place is mine in that big plan of yours?"

He simply stared at her, scanning through her feelings as if he were sifting through the air for scents and smells. Sadness, confusion and annoyance were first and foremost in her mind; but as her anger at his silence slowly grew, the answer appeared to her as clearly as the light of day.

"Empathy… You need me to detect the lies of those around us? Is that your intention? To use me?"

"Hn."

She was shocked by the way he confirmed her doubts.

"You want to use me."

He nodded subtly.

"Your power of empathy will be appreciated in the events to come."

She straightened up on her cushion, sitting upright and putting her elbows on the table, her chin upon her joined fists. Hostility was now pouring out of her toward Sesshomaru, making him slightly uneasy, but what was disturbing him the most was the heavy sadness, the disappointment that settled upon his shoulders by proxy. He did not expect this reaction, and couldn't begin to understand the reasons why his partner would become so resentful at a simple request from him.

"It won't work."

The only answer to her words was a slightly rised brow and an insistent look.

"For your plan to work, I would have to relay you the emotions of the people around us, and I can't do that. Not unless I open up totally to you, and that won't happen."

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, she thought about the correct choice of words to explain an ability that was not well understood, even by the specialists.

"To feel through me and detect the ones lying to you, you would first have to receive the full scope of my own emotions; which won't happen, since your reactions to them are not yet totally controlled. Then, you would have to ignore them totally to tap into the collectivity. It took me a long time to learn how to do that without being drowned by the multitude of feelings coming from everybody around me, and we don't have that time. Finally, you would have to be able to distinguish between the people in the room, to know which one of them emitted which emotion, and it is sure that you wouldn't succeed. It is the hardest part of this ability, and at times even myself have difficulties with it."

"Very well. But that is not what I had in mind."

She redressed on her cushion, her hands now flat on the table.

"No? Then why question me about it if it's not what you wanted?"

"At times it is easier to let you speak than to stop you from talking."

Irked at his effrontery, she had to fight against her desire to turn tail and leave the place.

"You know what, my Lord?" she said in an arrogant tone. "It's not with this crappy "I am higher than thou" attitude you've got that you will convince me to help. You can be a total jerk when you want to!"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, doing his best not to be affected by her swinging moods. When he reached a total control over himself and felt that she calmed herself a little, he let her in on his theory.

"I was merely hoping that you would convey your own appreciation of my mother's servants to me through our link. I do not need to know what they feel; I solely want to know how you feel about them. Trust, or mistrust. Truth, or falsity. "

Kitana took his words in and studied them. Then, she nodded toward the taiyoukai.

"If it is all that you need, it may succeed. You will have to be very observant of whom I am studying to make the connection, but it may succeed."

The taiyoukai nodded, imagining how confusing it probably was to feel not only yours and another person's feelings, but those of everybody around you. Then, he looked to his right, as the rays of the afternoon sun entered the chamber and created shadows on the wooden floor.

"We still have some time before sundown. You will tell me what you know of my father."

Her lively attitude died down as he spoke.

"Did he really die?"

A subtle nod was her sole answer.

"How? When?"

Sesshomaru looked again at the puddle of light on the floor.

"About two hundred years ago. He fought battles that he was not prepared for, to protect a simple human female and their unborn half-blood child."

Kitana became pensive.

"It's a good way to die, then."

"It is an utterly foolish way to die."

"I don't know… At least he died doing something that was important to him."

"Hn."

"So… he was not with your mother anymore when it happened?"

His eyes settled on her once again, and his reluctance to speak about this particular subject was heavy in the air.

"He had never been."

A confused look on her face, Kitana pushed him to explain himself.

"How come? You are here, obviously."

"Hn. My father was the greatest dog general of my maternal grandfather's army. He helped expand the Western Lands over century old boundaries, and for that he received the hand of my mother in reward for his services. My grandfather wanted strong grandchildren to come out of this union. But it did not succeed; I was the only child born to them. When the Old Dog died, Father became the new Lord of the Western Lands, by alliance. He was obsessed with war and territory, and Mother quickly became disinterested in him, for her way of winning wars was through treachery and spying, making alliances and pulling strings in the shadows rather than clashing armies on a battlefield. He had been a sire for a child, but he was better as a General. They agreed upon one thing though: through trials, their child would become strong, or die. In that they succeeded."

Kitana shivered.

"That's a sad story. He seems different from the Angelus I know."

Sesshomaru felt the need to roll his eyes as she persisted in using that ridiculous nickname for his Father, but he wouldn't fuss over a detail when he wanted to know the story.

"Did you succeed?"

He turned a questionning glare at her.

"In meeting their expectations… Did you succeed? You do not strike me as a guy who would fit in such an environment… I never imagined you as the master of a castle…"

"Because I am not."

His answer surprised even himself, for he had always considered he was nobility, artistocracy. Kitana was waiting for an explanation, so he continued.

"I am a wanderer. I always imagined taking over my father's lands and possessions after becoming strong enough to claim them back. Becoming powerful, so I could conquer what was rightfully mine by birth, and even beyond that."

"And you won't?"

His silence was her answer.

"So you wander… For what reason, if it is not to take back what is yours?"

With a wave of his hand, he pushed the question away, ignoring her to come back to the sole question that was throbbing in his mind.

"How did you meet?"

"I… It's hard to speak about that, Sesshomaru."

Patient, he stayed still, looking at her until she gathered the courage to go on.

"He saved me from the shipwreck when I crashed on your planet. I hit the ocean near the coast of your lands, and while my ship disintegrated and I was rendered unconscious, your father plunged in the water to examine the celestial object that had fallen from the sky. When he found me, he pulled me out of the sinking remains of the ship and brought me back to land."

"It is not all."

She raised her head and locked eyes with him.

"No, it's far from all. I stayed unconscious for days, as my armour was not sufficient to protect me from the crash. I was so broken down physically that it took me months to recover; he took care of me all that time, even though I didn't want him to. He hunted for me, but I refused to eat anything. He taught me your language, but I refused to speak. He told me stories of battles and armies that he would join someday and I didn't react. He became attached to me, and I couldn't care less."

"Why?"

She blinked once, not really understanding the sense of his question.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you care? Why did he still care for you when it was so obviously a failure?"

She became somber and her tone took up a darker accent.

"I was…" She sighed. "Even though my physical injuries were terrible, it was nothing compared to how I was destroyed inside, Sesshomaru. I was a total mess; and he insisted because… He insisted… Because he thought he loved me."

A deep frown appeared on his forehead and hostility seeped out from him, along with incredulity.

"It cannot be."

She nodded once.

"Yes it can; do you doubt my abilities to sense emotions, Sesshomaru? His feelings were very easy to decipher, for he did not even care about hiding them. But I couldn't stand it."

"What happened?"

"When it became too heavy to bear, when I wanted nothing but to dissolve in the afterlife, I showed him. I showed him the reason of my presence on this planet, the reason for my desire to die, for my inability to love him back in return. I showed him my memories, the same way I showed you the memories of the tiger youkai on that day."

Silence was heavy in the room; Sesshomaru's image of his father was changing, and he did not like it. Sensing his trouble, Kitana continued.

"He was very young at that time, Sesshomaru; much younger than on the painting. Younger than you are now. At that moment I did not know about youkai, but I thought he was a boy of roughly sixteen years old."

"You met him before I was born…"

"Yes, it probably is true, for he was not a general yet. Furthermore, he was totally engaged in my care and surely if he had had a child to raise he wouldn't have stayed by my side for months. But he was also naïve and impressionable, and what he saw in my memories was a shock to him; so much that he left me, at last. When he didn't return, I crawled deeper in the cave where we had settled, going always further in the shadows of the earth. I was exhausted, famished, and it didn't take long for my body to put me into stasis. What happened after that, you know better than me, Sesshomaru."

Neither of them could withstand to look into each other's eyes at the moment; Kitana was somehow ashamed of her behavior, now that she could see it from the point of view of a child who apparently worshipped his father. Sesshomaru was stunned; for him, it had always been clear that the bitter side of his father, the side of him that only melted away when he met with the human princess Isayoi, was his own fault, the fault of an unwanted child that distracted the father from his quest for power. Could it be that he became that way when he lost Kitana, rather than when he sired a child? Could it be a lost love that burdened his soul, and not a powerless youkai infant?

"I said only one word to him, and it was Angelus. In the language I spoke then, it has a different meaning than in yours. Angelus is a savior, a benevolent soul who helps others out of pure compassion. Angelus is good hearted, maybe naïve but true to himself. For me, he was Angelus."

"In my language, Angels are sacred spirits of the afterlife who look after the living, protecting them and caring for them."

"Maybe he is both, then. Now that he is no more."

"And This Sesshomaru? You call me Angelus. Is it by mistake, because I look like him?"

She smiled at his question.

"At first, yes, I tought you were him. But you are Angelus too; maybe not as naïve and far more prudent with your compassion, but you are nonetheless."

A moment of silence passed before she asked him something that was on her mind.

"Did he… He never told you about me, did he?"

A pair of golden eyes met with her own, and he shook his head.

"Never. He simply showed me the cave where you laid in the cocoon, but did not explain its nature; except that it killed evil creatures, feeding upon them, and could heal worthy ones."

She smiled sadly.

"Yes, it is true. I have not much control or memories of what I do when in stasis, but I do sense the touch of the wicked and the cocoon forces me to feed on them. However I plainly refuse to take the lives of the pleasant souls; healing their wounds seems a natural thing to do when I am in stasis."

Both of them shared a companionable silence for a while, reminiscing about the lost Angelus, who became the great Dog General. As the sun got closer to the horizon, Sesshomaru rose to his feet.

"There is a small freshwater pond in the garden of my father's office, would you wish to clean up more thoroughly before the meeting."

"What? Why?"

Kitana was not ready to hear such words from him; he was definitively a mood-breaker.

"Let's say you still reek of the marten, and blood; the barracks' shower is reputed for never being used long enough to really clean anything."

That being said, he walked away and she followed suit, wondering if she should obey him or kill him for his impudence. He opened a shoji screen that separated the small, cozy front office from a larger reunion room which could hold at least twenty persons and then turned right, opening a last screen that led toward the said garden.

"I left real soap on a rock," he said, accentuating the word real in a disdainful way.

She stormed out of the room, knowing that if she couldn't put some distance between them, he would be as good as dead meat. Or she, for he would surely retaliate and she would end up dead. But as usual he was right, with Sai's overbearing presence she didn't take the time to clean up thoroughly, and she still had some blood caked under her feet.

As she sat in the cool clearwater pool and started scrubbing her toes and talons, she felt Sesshomaru's presence lingering nearby.

"Can't a lady have some privacy while she bathes?"

"Hn. You are not a lady, and your clothes have not been removed from you; you are in no need of privacy."

Her temper was boiling.

"Let me be the one to decide about that."

She turned her back to him, continuing her tidying up; the blood really got underneath her claws and was hard to scrub away.

"Well, what do you want? Are you just gonna stay there and watch me? Pervert!"

He rose an eyebrow and sat on a rocky bench, the branches of a weeping willow creating a shaded area under which he could wind down a little to digest the surprising informations he received earlier about his partner and father.

"You are the one who was so aroused while fighting a woman half-buried in gore, and I am the pervert. Fascinating."

"Don't start Sesshomaru; I fought her for fun, she was the aroused one. See? You can't even start to distinguish my own feelings from what I perceive from others."

"Hn".

He stayed silent, half hidden under the tree branches while she ended cleaning up. He had never thought it could be possible, but he was entertaining himself by feeling the broad spectrum of emotions that crashed upon the ebony predator that was his companion. Underneath the strong sadness that didn't seem to go away, anger, even rage, fought with shame and annoyance in her heart. Once in a while, an emotion almost erased the others, and it was like watching dancers evolve on a dance floor. And he was the one who provocked it all. It was much easier now for him to detach himself from what he received from her, for he was becoming skilled in the art of relaxing and accepting feelings rather than burying them away. Still, as he knew the effect that could have upon her, he did not indulge in that relaxation already for she would have calmed down and he would have lost his entertainment. It was not as much fun as a real fight, but almost.

As he watched her ablutions absentmindedly from afar, Sesshomaru's thoughts wandered toward the reasons why his father left Kitana; what had he seen that pushed him to flee with his tail between his legs? Was he an easily impressed teenager at the time, or was the vision so strong and shocking that fleeing was the only option? More, if he was to see the same vision, how would he react? He reasonned that he had had plenty of occasions to leave Kitana and yet, the impulse to stay with her had been stronger; that he had already been shown and told éterrible things that many youkai couldn't have dealt with and never once fleeing had crossed his mind. But he never figured his father as a coward, young or not, on the contrary he had always been solid like iron in face of terrible foes.

With his mind turning and returning the possibilities and questions again and again, he didn't see Kitana emerge from the pool and approach him.

"Well, are you gonna stay here all night long and let me handle the meeting by myself?"

He snapped out of his musings and turned his attention toward his companion; taking in her silhouette, his brows went up and his eyes opened up in surprise before he could school them back into their usual bored expression.

The girl was stunning; never once he had seen her exhibit such a level of beauty and dignity. Gone was the wild creature that he rescued from a gloomy cave, the savage predator who eviscerated and tortured without any hesitation; in front of him stood a royal person, shining with a great presence. She had manipulated her body suit in a totally new way. The small tiara that always adorned her head had changed into something much more intricated; the spikes over her forehead and brows were still present, but now the jewel descended along the sides of her face and two new pointed spikes followed along her high cheeks and jawline, outlining them brightly. The collar that hid her scars was now a chest plate descending upon her shoulders and chest down to the base of her breasts, and decorated with linear patterns similar to long, bony fingers, as if a long-legged spider was nesting upon her neck. It could have been gloomy, but the fact that the ornament was pure gold and in a strange way similar to the natural ridges visible on the skin of her neck made it perfectly fitting.

Her chest was now tightly clad in a long tunic that evased at her waist into two panels, one at her front and one at her back. The material appeared to be silk, midnight black silk that contrasted wildly with the rich gold of her chest plate. Her belt was also included in the design, encircling her waist where the fabric of the tunic loosened to create the panels. The tunic was sleeveless, and although he knew for a fact that her arms were still covered by the peculiar bodysuit, someone not knowing would be fooled. Her snakelike wrist and ankle bracelets had not changed, and she kept her long flowing pants underneath the tunic; the only difference being that they were not slanted on the sides anymore. Her back spines were free from the material and proudly erected, their upper edge cast in gold, and her tail emerged from under the back panel with what appeared to be a golden chain of rings encircling each dorsal spike up until the very tip of the tail blade, which was totally encased in gold. On the front of the panel, a pattern of golden spirals encircling a vertical oval shape was repeated five times along the left side of the fabric, giving him a strange feeling of dread. The contrast of the black outfit with the shining gold of her eyes and ornaments was stunning, and it was difficult for him to remove his prying eyes from her person.

"Sesshomaru. You are staring."

He looked her up in the eyes, looking absolutely indifferent although he knew she could read him like an open book; he could do the same however, and knew that she was embarrassed by something.

"You changed your… clothes."

"Glad you noticed. We are in some royal court, aren't we? Is it appropriate, or too much?"

He looked again for a couple of seconds before rising and starting to walk inside again.

"It will do. Come; we will be late."

Rolling her eyes as he had been the one dreaming away and forgetting everything about the passing hour, she followed after his retreating back.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 27**

They crossed the entire courtyard toward the main building, the one they saw at their arrival. Guards let them access the doors with no problem, and soon they found themselves in a dining room. About a half dozen of guests were already installed and eating, oblivious to their discreet arrival.

"Are we at the right place? They spoke of a meeting, not a meal!" Kitana whispered to her companion.

"Hn. You won't eat, so for you it will only be a meeting."

This answer irritated her to no end; had she known she would have either to fake eating and be sick or insult her host by refusing the food, she would have argued more about the matter and perhaps even refused to come along. Her irritation at being dragged there continued to increase, and had she not already been detected by the guests she would have turned tail and crawled back into her desolated little room, isolating herself in the sinister desolation of her mind. But it was not to be.

"Aaaaah, Sesshomaru-sama! Come here, come! Won't you greet your old friend properly, you cur!" shouted a large, bearded man as he rose from his kneeling position to greet the newcomers.

Greeting was maybe a little too feeble a word to describe the effusions of joy and familiarity with which he graced Sesshomaru. The man towered a good foot higher than the taiyoukai, and his weight was absolutely not proportional to his height; the floor trembled as he propelled himself toward his so-called friend.

Kitana looked at the scene with large, unbelieving eyes; before her, the stern and stoic demon Lord was caught in a strong, manly embrace by the huge giant. Both hairy arms were crushing the shoulders of the dog youkai with tremendous force, and the right hand of the monster patted him in the back with a resulting thundering sound, while he was laughing his heart out. The strangest part of this display was that Sesshomaru didn't retaliate and the man still got his head on his shoulders; how puzzling.

The man released his hold on the aggravated youkai and seized him by the shoulders, distancing them at a good arm length and looking him all over.

"Ah! In all these centuries you haven't changed a lot, my friend. If one does not take your arm into account of course!"

He gave a hearty laugh, which was answered by one of the coldest glares the taiyoukai could do. Kitana felt an extremely strong murderous intent seeping from all the pores of Sesshomaru, and yet he did nothing.

Her attention though was not on her companion, but on the brute that so carelessly approached and assaulted him. The man was totally different from anything she had seen in these lands. A rich red beard ate his lower face and a bushy moustache joined it at the corners of the mouth; together they descended on his throat and stopped at his upper chest. His eyes were a common brown, almost hidden behind a single, huge eyebrow. He wore a simple beige sleeved tunic made of linen, a pair of deep brown linen pants, a leather belt strapped around his waist over the tunic and a large, two sided war axe unlike any she had seen before was attached to his belt. His dirty, human feet were bare and as hairy as his arms; but as human as he looked if one omitted his size, the man emitted a terribly large amount of energy.

His gaze suddenly turned toward Kitana, examining her shamelessly.

"And now my good friend, you bring a lady here and you don't introduce me to her? How rude can you be, Sesshomaru, I ask you?"

The taiyoukai was breathing slowly, trying to calm down his animosity toward the giant man. When the urge to kill him subsided somewhat, he turned toward Kitana and his voice reached her ears, as cold as could be.

"Kitana-sama, this stupid example of an oaf is a foreigner that my father did the mistake of welcoming in the family as a brother eons ago. He does not have an ounce of manners but luckily, he is usually roaming on the continent and only comes here every two or three centuries."

The warm, deep laugh of the youkai once again filled the huge room and he slapped Sesshomaru in the back with his huge hand, making a resounding noise.

"My friend, you never stop to amaze me!"

"Do that once more and you will loose the use of that arm."

"Ahem." The large man seemed to take the threat seriously as he straightened himself and backed up a foot from Sesshomaru's side. "As the Lord is not inclined to introduce me properly, my Lady, allow me to do it by myself. I am Medved, a mighty Bear youkai from the great plains of Russia."

The bear advanced toward Kitana, obviously intent to hug her in a similar way as he did to Sesshomaru. It was not to happen though, as a soft feminine voice halted his progression.

"Touch me bear, and you die."

Sesshomaru turned slightly toward her, curious to see the outcome of her provocative words. The bear was a gentle fool, but his Father did not make friend with the weak and none dared to cross the creature for once angered, he was a natural cataclysm.

The giant stayed stunned for a couple of seconds, before breaking in a thunderous laugh. He resorted to slapping Sesshomaru's shoulder once again, but did not move closer to Kitana.

"I see that you chose a spirited female, Sesshomaru! Or did your temper already rub off on her? Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Now I recognize you! Come, friends, let's sit down at this table and celebrate your return!"

The choice of seats was limited to three, in fact; one at the very end of the table, and two to its sides. The left seat being occupied by the leftovers of the bear's meal, Kitana chose the other, letting Sesshomaru gracefully sit down at the place of honor.

Now that their attention wasn't totally occupied by the bear's antics, Kitana and Sesshomaru surveyed the rest of the guests. The taiyoukai's mother was occupying an elegant, elevated seat at the other end of the table while the guest sat on cushions and pillows all around. Two overly large creatures not unlike Sesshomaru's canine form sat at attention beside the royal figure, their blackish fur glistening as if diamond powder was covering them up. It was only on a closer examination that the sparkling little gems became more like stars on a moonless sky, slowly organizing themselves in galaxies and nebula; the phenomenon was fascinating, but not natural at all. As if the void of deep space was seeping into the room through the beasts, the atmosphere was cold and unwelcoming and with the exception of Medved, almost everyone seemed hostile to the newcomers.

At the right of the canine lady, sat a beautiful but arrogant looking youkai with black tipped orange hairs that reached down to his waist. He was concentrated on his meal, and a chilling wave of disdain and disgust hit her coming from him. When he detected her gaze on him, he raised his head a little and returned the gaze. Despite his nonchalant attitude, sitting sideways with his weight on his left arm, his attention was now all upon her, apparently; he couldn't detach his eyes.

She could, however, and she continued to examine the attending youkai. Various features stirred her curiosity and interest, things such as markings, pointed ears, feathers or reptilian scales decorated with a wide variety of jewels and weapons; this group was wealthy and powerful.

Halfway through the guests she was surprised to meet eyes that she knew well; Sai was amongst the group, smiling warmly while eyeing her with rather hungry eyes. She returned the smile with a smirk of her own, and her eyes sparkled with amusement when she felt the first hints of desire coming from the marten, who was now slowly liking her lips. Decidedly, this female was not ashamed of flirting in public she thought, when a voice finally broke the heavy silence.

"So, Sesshomaru-sama, you finally decided to honor you Mother with a visit. How graceful of you; but did you need to bring a stray along, my Lord? It isn't like you at all, if I recall my distant memories."

It was the orange-haired male, visibly trying to start a fight. He was now openly showing his contempt for Sesshomaru, and Kitana did not have to send him a warning for him to take notice of this.

A servant brought tea and Sesshomaru, oblivious to the provocative tone of the male, turned his golden gaze to his mother, awaiting her acknowledgment. He did not have to wait for long.

"Friends, friends, let us put old quarrels to rest and be civil for at least a moment; my son has indeed returned and it is a reason for celebration, not fights. Isn't it, Sesshomaru?"

The warm smile of the youkai did not reach her eyes however, and her son did not care about returning the appearance of happiness.

"Hn. If we could come to the reasons of my presence here, Mother."

"Of course, my son, of course. I gathered these fine people to hear you out and see what we can do for you; you are lucky, for Medved does not turn up here as often as I would like him to. It is a great opportunity to count him amongst us tonight, as well as Sai and Yoko," she said motioning to the male at her side. "I take it you remember about the general Yoko, did you my son? He has feats under his name befitting of the title of Lord of the West, if that title was available of course!"

"How could I forget the fox, Mother?"

His face as blank as ever met with his Mother affected smile, as she draped her furs tighter around herself.

"Don't be so cold, son, I did not raise you that way."

She gestured toward the other guests, cutting short the discussion about the unpleasant youkai.

"Here is Sai, the head of my informants; she is not here often either, and she could be of a great help to you. Medved keeps me informed on the happenings on the continent; and you know most of the other attendants, all of them my most loyal assistants."

Sesshomaru nodded minutely, having known the said assistants from birth and being aware that they assisted his mother mostly in spying, murdering and blackmailing other high-ranking youkai. Kitana was apparently fighting not to be overwhelmed by the melancholy that was brought by their discussion about his father, and she managed to convey him the emotions she felt when each one of the youkai in attendance was introduced. Most of her reactions matched his own appreciation of the group of high ranking youkai; all but the marten, which was apparently the source of a displaced and annoying physical need that threatened to distract him from the task at hand.

"My Lady wanted you to explain your demands by yourself, Sesshomaru, but she said a word or two about a hanyou," said Yoko while he studied his claws boringly. "You know how the rumors run fast here, and I find them hard to believe. Could it be true that you need help in fighting a mere hanyou?"

He turned his intense green gaze toward Sesshomaru, only to be met by bland golden eyes.

"This Sesshomaru seeks information about the whereabouts of the hanyou Naraku. Maybe some here have heard of him."

"Indeed we have, but I was under the impression that Naraku was an extremely powerful youkai. No one ever mentioned he was a half-blooded creature! Are we speaking about the same individual, Sesshomaru-sama?"

The one who spoke was a petite female, about as tall as Rin, but with womanly features and shoulder length, pale blonde hair. She was seated across Yoko, and he shot her an irritated glance as she spoke.

"Naraku is powerful, but he is hanyou; human smell is mingled within his stench."

"And why would you need our help to find him, Sesshomaru-sama? Aren't you a skilled tracker yourself, or were your father's teachings insufficient in that area?"

The questioning youkai was a dignified old man, looking somewhat like an owl of some sort with an air of wisdom about him; a grey moustache descended on either sides of his mouth, giving him a perpetual pout that could have been ridiculous, but only added to nobility of the creature.

Sesshomaru's cold gaze settled on the old man, and he recoiled a little on his cushion, taking a particular interest in his cup of tea.

"My Father's teachings were thorough in many domains, Taneki-sama. As I said, Naraku is powerful and he knows how to hide himself from my senses, no matter how keen they are. However, I suspect he is not prepared for the skills of other forms of youkai."

"Is it why you keep this female at your side, my Lord? She is of no great birth, and I wonder what abilities she possesses that makes her worth your attention, beside her obvious physical assets. You surely know it is considered an offense to bring a whore or concubine to a reunion such as this one? Please correct me if my assumptions are wrong, but I think her place is in the bedroom, and in the bedroom she should have stayed."

The reptilian voice that venomously interrupted the taiyoukai and steered the conversation exactly where he did not want it to head, was a voice heavily laced with heinous intentions and ripping of disdain and deceit. Kitana instantaneously disliked the creature that spoke, a slender and pale female with a forked tongue, slit green pupils and the characteristic unblinking eyes of a snake. She recognized in it the typical signs of a sadistic being, an assassin or torturer, and wanted nothing but to end her days as soon as possible, making her pay for the crimes she obviously took pleasure in committing.

Her reaction was mirrored in her partner, in his ever calm and collected way. Without even turning his head toward the offensive female, he turned his eyes sideways and studied her for a moment, savoring the uneasiness that was starting to appear on her scaled face. The people of his mother were powerful and bold under the illusion of her protection, but when face to face with an enemy they revealed the pitiful creatures that they truly were, all of them.

"It is not the purpose of this gathering to discuss the presence of Kitana-sama by my side. All of you should know however that This Sesshomaru does not take kindly to fools and never tolerates their behavior for very long. It applies to you as well as to her. She has a role to play that none of you could even begin to understand."

It was hard for him not to react in a more direct way to the insults of his mother's servants, but Sesshomaru knew when politics preceded over brute force and reigned in his anger. His own companion was not helping him at all though, as she was getting less and less focused on the discussion and more turned upon her own feelings. He did his best not to turn and look at her, fighting a need to shake her back to reality; but he would not endure her chaotic emotions for much longer, especially since they were now a disastrous blend of painful waves of sadness mixed up with anger, physical lust and desire to kill. As he tried to ignore these feelings, the very creature responsible for a large part of his discontentment spoke.

"Please take no offense, but what would we gain by helping you, Sesshomaru-sama? If this Naraku is that powerful, wouldn't it be better to side by him rather than seek his destruction? Or at the very least, keep our neutrality?"

Sai was eyeing him cautiously, but was still provocative, as if this reunion was nothing but a battle to win, bringing forth opportunities to bleed her opponent to his death. She had apparently chosen him as a foe, and if he could judge by her sideway glances toward his onyx-skinned partner, the reason for this enmity was sitting right by his side. Irritated at the notion of his companion going so low as considering the marten as an object of desire, and even more irked by his own jealous reaction to the idea of the two women sharing intimate moments together, he almost snapped at the small weasel-like creature.

"Siding with Naraku is an utterly foolish idea; his conception of making alliances consists in absorbing his allies into himself, stealing their powers and abilities. He tolerates no one, and is greedy for supreme power. But you are free to do as you wish marten."

The large bear coughed strongly while trying to hold back a laugh and when Sesshomaru met his eyes, he spoke his mind.

"I remember a certain dog youkai, or two, who were after something similar themselves. Supreme conquest. None of us here intervened to stop them, or any other similar minded youkai before. Why should we do it now?"

Sesshomaru nodded, able to recognized concealed help when he received it.

"Naraku is gathering shards of the Shikon no Tama, a jewel that gives him tremendous power. Without it, he is nothing. To gain the whole jewel he is now rampaging in the human world and targets the puny demons that roam it, but he will soon accomplish his goal and turn his attention toward youkai of noble blood who do not mingle with humans. When he reaches that point, he will simply capture and devour the interesting ones, and destroy the others. He can be overcome now, but if he is not stopped, it will be the end of the world as we know it. He does not need allies, and will not leave any possibility for neutrality either; he seeks power for himself to assimilate."

Murmurs and hushed words filled the room as the assembly of youkai discussed the points brought by Sesshomaru. One of them though was not part of the general discussion.

"You never struck me as a hero wanting to protect the world from destruction, Sesshomaru. You are selfish, arrogant and power hungry yourself. When did it change? Or is it just a beautiful little speech designed to win our support? Did Naraku cross you in a more… personal way?"

The dog youkai mused over the hostile words of Yoko, deciding that any lie would be detected by the members of this assembly. The game was risky though, for his mother had no tolerance for weakness in her son.

"Indeed. The fool tried to use This Sesshomaru multiple times, and failed miserably; but he shall be punished by my own hand for even thinking he could succeed to sully my honor. I merely wish to accelerate the outcome of this affair by seeking the intelligence of this court."

The murmurs started again, only to be stopped by a shout from the head of the assembly.

"Silence!"

Eight heads turned toward her.

"Sesshomaru, you sadden me, son. You come back to your mother after centuries of roaming as a savage in the wilderness, crippled by the loss of an arm to your bastard hanyou half-brother, and accompanied by a low-life youkai whore of a breed so insignificant that no one has ever heard of it. Yet, my pain as a mother isn't deep enough; here I learn that you let another hanyou cross you, to the point where you can't even track and destroy him by yourself."

Anger was boiling in Sesshomaru, a cold, white anger. His mother was many things, but never before had she resorted to humiliating him in public. He stayed still though, as blank faced as ever, while at his side his partner was lost in her own emotional world, barely aware of the dynamics of the gathering.

A forked-tongued slithered between lips, before her owner granted the audience with her opinion.

"How sad, to see such a well-bred and strong youkai fall so low."

She could not have chosen a worse moment to speak. The serpent uttered her last words; a split-second later, her head was rolling on the table, her body falling on its side on the lush cushions. Blood was ejected from her severed neck in long arterial jets, tainting the silk cushion a deep blackish crimson. Only a faint green glow at the tips of Sesshomaru's fingers betrayed the murderer but the effect of his action was instantaneous: a total silence filled the room as the attention of everyone was brought back to him.

"Enough."

His voice was calm and composed, in total contradiction with the scene that was unravelling before him, with servants and retainers running in panic to remove the corpse and limit the damage to the valuable cushions and carpets that were absorbing the spilled blood. His closed eyes were hidden under his bangs, his head slightly bowed down, but as he started to smell the sweet and sour aroma of fear tinting the air, he straightened, eliciting a few gasps from some of the attendee as his eyes settled upon them. He paid them no attention though, finally fixing his gaze upon his mother instead.

"I have heard enough. But know this: no one insults This Sesshomaru and lives to talk about it, including Naraku. Whether this ridiculous court of yours has a part to play in his demise or not is your choice, Mother; I will wait for the answer until tomorrow morning."

The taiyoukai rose and gave a last, hard look at his mother and the other youkai, before turning his back to the gathered demons, his partner at his side. As they were about to cross the door, a new voice resonated in the large reunion room.

"How is it that I hear about this reunion when it is already ending?"

As Sesshomaru and Kitana turned around to face the newcomer, the person who spoke those words reached the head of the table in a shaky way, helped by a sturdy looking wooden walking stick, and stood there defiantly glaring at the Lady of the castle. She was an elderly woman, so petite and fragile looking that at first Kitana mistook her for a human. Her face riddled with so many wrinkles and blotched with brown age spots made it hard to determine exactly where her mouth and eyes started and ended; her bony fingers clenched upon the pommel of the cane looked like even this task was too difficult for them; and her long greyish hairs, planted on a balding head, only added to the appearance of extremely old age of the creature. She wore a plain white kimono, but straddled upon her back was a flat, oval brownish structure not unlike a turtle shell.

However, when she dismissed the external appearance of the woman, Kitana could feel an immense strength coiled inside of her, something similar to what she felt in the tree Bokusenou; this woman was youkai, and she was powerful.

"Kame-sama. You should not exert yourself by walking up here for such a trivial reunion. I have no need for a Seer at the moment, and I heard you were ill. You should return to your quarters and rest."

The chanting, cold voice of the Lady was a balm to the ears compared to the raucous sound that came out of the elderly youkai lips.

"There was a commotion earlier about a creature brought here by your son. I came to see her with my own eyes, as deficient as they may be. Is the Tsowandar still here, my Lady?"

At these words, a few laughs erupted from some of the attendees and the orange-haired Yoko spoke up.

"Kame-sama, you should really go back to sleep. There are no such things as your Tsowandars, much less here with us."

He turned to face the assembly.

"It is sad to see how old age affects even the mightiest youkai. This old hag is crazier than ever, if you ask me."

The laughs came back, supporting the General's words, and soon turned into an animated discussion about how delirious the most recent predictions and declarations of the turtle really were. However, not everyone was laughing. Still standing away from the group and not being taken into account anymore, the stern Sesshomaru had grown even colder upon hearing that word, and his firm hand was pressed upon his partner's shoulder to stop her from stepping forward. In a whisper that he hoped would be drowned under the loud laughs of the assembly, he addressed her, trying to calm her down.

"The turtle is insane; do not pay attention to her words. Her mind was already gone when I was but a child, and Father kept her here as an amusement, for she likes to make predictions between her moments of confusion."

"Insane or not, it doesn't explain how she knows that word!"

Kitana's voice fell upon the room like thunder, for everyone had stopped laughing when she spoke up. Feeling embarrassed and now being the center of attention, she did her best to straighten up her posture and appear as proud and imposing as Sesshomaru, for it would not do to show weakness in front of these hostile youkai. Even though the carcass of the most aggressive one was now hauled away from the room and the blood swept off the floor, there were others who would enjoy tearing her apart, verbally at least.

"Is that you?"

The attention of everyone being directed toward the taiyoukai and his consort, it was only natural for the old turtle to turn her head toward the door, trying to distinguish what forms where standing there through her vision obscured by cataracts. The contrast of a pure white form beside an onyx one was what pushed her forward.

"Tsowandar-sama, is that really you?"

"Kame-sama. My companion is no Tsowandar; you are mistaken."

The baritone of Sesshomaru's voice did not detract the senile old turtle from her goal. The sound of her stick hitting the ground stopped as she finally reached them, and she settled her whitish gaze upon the black form of Kitana.

"Young master, clearly you are the one who is mistaken."

Her hazy eyes locked with gold and black ones, wisdom meeting with confusion.

"Tsowandar-sama. I am honored to be a witness of your return among us lowly youkai. My body suffers from the tragedy of old age, but I assure you that I will do everything I can to assist you in your task."

With a shaky bow of the head, the elderly gave her respects in a way Kitana had never experienced before. Her, being the one others bowed in front of? Clearly she was imagining things, but who was she to put an end to the fleeting joy of an old, dying woman? She was trying to decide how to act toward this venerable turtle, while investigating the origin of this word she said, when a mischievous smile appeared on the corners of the mouth of the old woman.

"But I see you have already chosen your partner, oh noble one. I have to say it is a surprise to me though, to see a male standing beside you. Your choice is unheard of, even though you certainly picked a worthy and powerful lover."

Embarrassment crept back under these words, and Kitana was about to answer when Sesshomaru did it in her place.

"You will cease your assumptions, old one. You are in the wrong; we are not lovers."

A genuine surprise appeared on the face of the old turtle, and only grew when Kitana confirmed the taiyoukai's words by a firm nod of the head.

"Oh? But you shared your life, didn't you? Lord Sesshomaru, this old youkai admires your self-restraint. Being able to withhold while giving your life energy is… impressive, to say the least. Impressive indeed."

Anger was the reaction of the taiyoukai but he was cut short by a rustle front the backdoor of the room, the door from which the turtle came in. A group of four middle-aged female youkai, clearly servants of the castle, came in a hurry and quickly scanned the attendees of the reunion, looking for someone. Finally, when one of them caught a glimpse of the old turtle, they all rushed forward toward her. Aware of the commotion, the elderly youkai yawned deeply.

"I am afraid you will have to excuse this old turtle – yawn -, for I have to… sleep… We will – yawn – meet later…"

On these words, the turtle seemed to fall asleep on the spot, her weight supported entirely by her walking stick. Apparently, she timed her nap exactly with the arrival of her group of servants, and was saved to hear their admonitions about her wandering alone in the complex maze of the castle.

"Excuse us, oh my Lord, for we have failed in our task to protect and escort Kame-sama. I hope she has not disturbed this assembly to much."

Sesshomaru kept his eyes trained on the sleeping form of the turtle while she was caringly carried away from the large reunion room by her servants. He turned around when it became apparent that she wouldn't wake up, and left the room, urging Kitana forward with a sweep of his fur pelt behind her knees. Another voice cut his retreat.

"Hear me, Sesshomaru. My court will gather the information you seek. We will meet again here in two days, at noon. I expect you to be punctual."

He didn't even slow down his pace, missing the strange smirk that appeared on his mother's lips and the surprised looks of the said court.

**SSSSS**

"You were useless."

Those were the first words he uttered since they left the disaster of the dining room. He had led Kitana back to his old quarters, where she made the unpleasant discovery of guards posted at every door, screen and window of the place. Her sleeping quarters were no better than a prison, and he didn't seem to care about that in the slightest as he put the responsibility of the near failure of the meeting on her shoulders.

Kitana did not have the strength to retaliate or defend herself; he was right. She had been useless, a bystander with no power over the outcome of the events, and she didn't care. She did not care about it, did not care about Sesshomaru's opinion of her. At this precise moment she cared about nothing.

After she had taken her seat at the table, Kitana had been deeply distracted by her inner demons. Gnawing at her soul with tiny pointy teeth, they brought back scene upon scene of her previous life, resurrecting the hurt and despair that slept in her heart. Then it only worsened with the strong waves of lust she received from the marten, making sure that she couldn't in any way focus upon the discussion happening before her. At first she tried to fight it, tried to show Sesshomaru what the guests' inner feelings inspired in her. It worked for a short while, until she was engulfed in the murderous intents of the snake woman. She then retreated into her own feelings, barely registering the death of the snake woman, and it took an effort of will to rise and follow when Sesshomaru left the scene. Her previous masters using her abilities for their own personal gain flashed before her eyes, and she saw herself killing or destroying her targets once again, only to discover that their hated faces were being replaced by the cool and stern features of Sesshomaru. The consequences that slavery had on her soul and spirit were back at full force, as if all the efforts she had done in the previous months to move forward and leave this past behind counted for nothing. Words from a taiyoukai she thought a friend, combined with the portrait of one she had associated with the tragedy that shook up her life and left her empty, were all it took to send her crashing down again.

Then the turtle lady stepped forth and blabbered confusing and strange words that somehow managed to slip past the haze that covered her mind. Questions surged to her lips, only to be halted by Sesshomaru's interventions, and totally lost when the old one suddenly fell asleep right before them. Such an odd behavior was certainly not right, and she would do well to remember the taiyoukai's opinion of the old turtle: senile and insane, that was probably the case.

"Pathetic."

She rose from her inner wanderings to stare at the cold features of her companion, the one who used her, the one she let down.

"Yes."

On that word, she turned her back to him and entered her quarters, wanting nothing more than being left alone; and he obliged.

**SSSSS**

Now standing by herself in the barren bedroom, Kitana felt the full weight of her despair crash upon her. Her mind was being trapped in her past again, and with Sesshomaru angered at her for letting the meeting unfold without being of any help she had no way to escape her predicament. Could she even consider him a friend anymore, now that she knew he was only interested in using her for his own benefits? No one would come to help her this time; she had to help herself, and she wasn't in the mood to do that. Her only desire at the moment was to fall into oblivion, but knowing that she already tried that and failed only increased her distress.

She eyed the bed for a moment, wondering if she should slip between its sheets and try to sleep away the awkward feelings that overwhelmed her at the moment. However, her instincts told her that she would be an easy target lying in bed in the center of an enemy settlement, with guards so close that they could rush in at any moment. Escaping was not an option, so she quickly did the only thing she could to dissimulate herself: she climbed onto one of the large wooden pillars that supported the roof and reached the rafters, where she was sure to find a soothing obscurity.

While she automatically went for the darkest spot, the best place for her to hide in, her hazy mind noticed the presence of a small opening in the shoji screen that was supposed to separate this room from the adjacent one.

Cocking her head to the side, she reached it and evaluated it.

It was a small, rounded opening that had been neatly cut into the paper frame, right at the junction between the roof and the wall; not an accident at all. As she looked into it, trying to get a glimpse of the next room, she was surprised to see nothing but another shoji screen; the hole was an entrance to a double wall that separated the two adjoining chambers, not a communicating passage.

She hissed as instincts and curiosity pushed her to hide further in this space. Folding her back spines tightly against her back, she managed to squeeze through it, descending headfirst along the solid exterior wall, going wherever the hidden passage would take her.

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru emerged from the small pool in the back of his private garden and squeezed the water out of his hair before putting his pants back on. The reunion had been really hard on him, and conflicting feelings were raging inside of his head. The discussions angered him to no end, and it was a small miracle in itself that the snake youkai was the only casualty. Beheading her would have soothed his temper if only he had not been submitted once again to endless waves of desire and lust coming from the woman sitting at his side. At first, she played her part well, relaying her impressions of the guests, but it did not last long. Her irritating depressive emotions soon took over, mixed up with a physical longing that was totally displaced for such a reunion.

He had been confused at first when he sensed her arousal, thinking that maybe, maybe it was directed to him. After all, they had shared great intimacy in the not so far away past and he knew he would not refuse her touch. However he was quickly disillusioned when he witnessed the looks that the dirty little weasel was sending her way; he could not believe that this insignificant youkai, this slip of a female was the one responsible for arousing his partner. When at last he rid himself of the aggravating creature and managed to be alone in his own chambers, he removed his armor and swords before undressing totally and plunging head first in the fresh pool of water that served mostly as a bathing area. He needed to cool down from the rage coiled inside of him as well as from the longing that his body interpreted as his own.

The late night bath helped him to come back to his senses; although he still received some perceptions from Kitana's distant mind, they were weaker than at the reunion, less dramatic and freed from anything remotely sensual. He easily discarded them as foreign to his being and concentrated on more pressing matters. He had to think about what happened earlier and what to expect from the group of miscreants his mother called her advisors and consultants; a reflection about the meaning of the turtle's intervention was also needed. All this should help him to remove the last bits of desire for his partner from his mind.

Lost in thoughts, his attention drifted to something unexpected. Leaving the rest of his clothes, armor and swords where they laid, he walked back inside the house, toward the main entrance. Instead of continuing through the large doors and going outside in the courtroom, he turned to the wall and moved a panel aside, uncovering a discreetly placed staircase. Silently, his bare feet carried him atop the stairs, where the whole second story was entirely devoted to his departed father's bedroom, now his own.

Leisurely, he crossed the magnificent room without even a glance at the elaborate artwork that covered every wall with paintings of powerful dog demons flying amongst the clouds. He spared no time looking at the huge bed that stood in the center of the chamber, a bed made in a European fashion at the demand of his father, built in a gigantic piece of teak so valuable that it alone represented the annual income of a minor warlord. The white sheets of silk and the mattress of down did not steer his interest, no more than the ornate fireplace that occupied half of the western wall of the room or the comfortable cushions that were nonchalantly placed all around the hearth.

His attention was rather focused upon a scent, a smell that he couldn't begin to understand the reason of. His mother had seen to keep its source thoroughly contained in another area of the courtyard, and by no mean it should have been possible for these spicy emanations to tickle his sensitive nose here, in his own private bedroom. Gracefully flicking a strand of wet silver hair behind his shoulder, he slowly scanned the room, turning upon himself in his search.

Behind him, a black form slowly descended from the rafters of the ceiling, first tucked into a compact ball then unfolding its appendages one by one. When his peripheral vision caught the sight, Sesshomaru relaxed slightly and turned around fully, coming face to face with an upside down and smirking Kitana.

"What are you doing here?"

His tone was unpleasant, but he felt curious and amused at the sight of her. He personally knew the guards assigned to her chamber and she shouldn't have been able to pass by them unseen without killing them. Yet, it would have caused an uproar which was obviously not the case for his sensitive senses would have picked the noise up, let alone the smell.

"The right question, Oh my Lord, would be how I arrived here."

He slightly cocked his head to the side.

"Indeed."

Her smirk became a malicious smile as she descended and landed on her feet, before rising and looking at the room behind him. The smile, though, never reached her eyes.

"Your place is definitely nicer than mine. Much less guards, for one thing. And more space. More… decorations."

He kept his gaze trained on her as she brought her eyes to his form and detailed him slowly, from his sculpted chest and arm to his lower abdomen. She then came back up to his ravaged shoulder, noticing the thick scar that had formed there, and then his still wet mass of hair that stuck to his back and dripped upon his pants.

"You should put your clothes back on. You will become sick, all wet and exposed like that in the middle of the night."

He raised an elegant eyebrow before answering.

"Youkai don't have sicknesses. Beside, I do as I please. Now tell me."

She turned her head up toward the ceiling, and he did the same, puzzled by her attitude.

"I think I won't be so useless anymore. There is a whole maze of highly concealed secret passages underneath this compound, with entrances in each and every building."

She turned back to face him, and their eyes locked together, hers filled with a fire he had not seen since they arrived in the castle.

"You wanted to learn more about the people who live here; I will now be in a position to provide that information."

His surprise was visible; he had always known his mother was a deviant and twisted plotter, but to the point of spying on her guests and husband? Then, thinking about it, he reached the conclusion that it was surely not beneath her. It would be interesting to see how his partner could use the deviousness of his mother to gain information about her. He nodded his approval. Kitana held his gaze for a moment, before jumping up, catching a rafter and using it to propel herself upon the ceiling itself, upside down. Then, she crawled along a beam and disappeared where it joined the wall.


	28. Chapter 28

Author's note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the long delay between chapters, Sesshomaru and Kitana aren't the only ones facing challenges and problems. The story isn't close to be finished, most of it is already written, but I lost my beta reader due to her going back to school full time this year… So I did my best at correcting my story, but if one of you dear readers would like to help me out I would be immensely relieved!

So let's go back to where we left our beloved characters, and thanks for your support and comments!

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 28**

Two days. Sesshomaru's mother had said that her court of spies and cut-throat informers would gather in two days, and he did not know how he would endure through the waiting hours.

He did not try to sleep the rest of the night after Kitana's departure; he stayed wide awake, sitting at his father's desk to ruminate about the events of the last day.

At first he questioned his own decision to come to this place and ask for assistance. One such as himself never needs help; he only sought a way to hasten the resolution of the conflict with the wicked Naraku. After all, one way or another he would soon be face to face with the arrogant creature and have the pleasure of putting his sword through his flesh. For the moment though, it appeared that Naraku showed up only when he wanted to, allowing his enemies to track him only when it befitted him.

It would soon change.

The reason why he was in such haste suddenly was a puzzle even for him. The skirmish with the half-youkai had begun many months ago, almost a whole year now. When he thought about it, the face of the human child, his human child, appeared in his mind and he did not like it at all. What allowed this slip of a girl to worm her way inside of him in such a quiet, treacherous manner, he had no idea. But no matter how much he tried to lie to himself, she was the very reason why the final fight against the hanyou would have to happen as soon as possible. He was youkai, almost immortal, but she was not; her fragile human nature assured her a hasty death, but she should not have to live her short life in the shadow of Naraku. He would make sure she would not.

As the morning sun tinted the sky in orange hues and chased the stars away, he focused on his newest ally, the one whom he sent on a mission for him in a domain she had no idea of the complexity of. During the night, her dark, sad emotions had slowly faded away, giving their place to a very subtle excitement. He had grown used to it, and dismissed it easily, but now that he wanted to know what was going on with her he found it difficult to focus on his ally's emotions. They were diluted in some way, hard to read, hard to distinguish from his own boredom and slight worry. He wondered why that would be, and decided to use the morning hours to get back in touch with youkai he knew could help him. He would use this time to keep an inner eye on his partner and try to decipher where she was and what she was doing.

**SSSSS**

The morning went by without any new information to add to his meager knowledge of the situation. Not only Kitana didn't report to him, but he lost track of her entirely; her scent was present in many areas of the compound, but in no great concentrations and her emotions were subtle and neutral, nothing easy to distinguish from his own feelings.

Sesshomaru was starting to feel and act like a tiger caught in a cage, circling his domain again and again in the vain hope to alleviate his frustration and free himself from this predicament. Noon came, with its groups of servants running one way or another to serve food to the higher ranking guards and the guest houses, then went. The desire to grasp his Tokijin and burn up some accumulated energy was growing stronger in the taiyoukai, inactivity when times called for action being an absurdity for him. Instead, he went back to his private garden and tried to loose himself in the contemplation of the clouds.

His tranquillity was disturbed as the sun subtly started to head toward the west, when a small group of laughing and chatting youkai passed close to the wall of his sanctuary. Suppressing a groan of displeasure, he decided to investigate the reason of this disturbance, which was a very rare occurrence in his mother's domain. And maybe, if he was lucky, there would be punishment to be given.

Moments later, the pristine form of the taiyoukai appeared on the courtyard, outwardly aloof and disdainful. He was mildly surprised at what he found; there were not only one, but at least ten small groups of diverse forms of youkai congregating on the courtyard. Turning his head toward the entrance of the castle, he saw that new arrivals were landing and climbing the stairs. Some youkai came on their own, flying up to the stairs in their primary, animalistic forms or using youki to propel them in the sky. Some others were mounted on a variety of flying lower youkai, winged horses, one-eyed worms, even some that remotely resembled Ah-Un. Many came out of regally decorated carriages hauled by either elegant flying animals or frightening predatory beasts; those were usually accompanied by females and child, and all of them were in awe of the view in front of them.

"Do you see what you make me do, oh my son? Will you grant me a word, or even a gesture of gratitude, now that most of my contacts in the human world are coming to me, ready to share in their knowledge?"

Her words received no answer, as Sesshomaru kept his gaze in the direction of the newcomers.

"No, of course you don't. Are you happy to see them, to see what I can do for you?"

Slightly irritated by her presence, Sesshomaru's jaw clenched.

"If those are the spies that know about Naraku, I wonder about the quality of the information they bring here. After all, no spy in his right mind would show his face in such a public place."

His mother's cheerfulness went down a notch, and she answered him quite bitterly.

"Do not be ridiculous, my son; those are merely messengers from my informants, at least second degree messengers. None of them has ever seen the face of one of my spies. I employ only the very best; I do not suffer fools. So, what do you think? Not a stone will be left unturned, such is my power."

Once again, her son acted as if she wasn't even there. She sighed theatrically.

"Who knows…? Maybe your mind is not on them at all, after all. Maybe the betrayal of your whore is what keeps you preoccupied. Even a heartless creature such as you could be affected by such an unexpected treason."

A minute contraction of an eyebrow was the only sign that the taiyoukai was now paying attention to his mother, and she did not miss it.

"Oh? Is that so? Is that what you are thinking about?"

She circled him slowly, coming to a stop right in front of him, where she turned around to contemplate the steady arrival of youkai, her son behind her.

"I knew it was a foolish request from the start, after all I really don't like that girl you brought here. But Sai is quite infatuated with the lowly little bitch. She has been pestering me with this ridiculous request since the meeting yesterday. I even told her that as soon as you learned, you would hunt them both down and kill her as well as her new play toy. But you know how girls are when blinded by love, don't you my son? I could never understand; how unnatural is that, tell me? If females were meant to be together, then we would know it, after all! But no, there was no reasoning her, her mind was set.

Finally, when the fox Yoko came to me and asked me to fulfill her demand, I let her officially take the girl in as her assistant. After all, he is Sai's superior and his lover too, so who am I to go against his will? Those two have something in store for this female of yours, and I can't begin to fathom what they have in mind."

She shuddered quite theatrically.

"These two are wicked. But apparently this Katina, or Kitana, is quite skilled in Sai's specialty, and it was their excuse for wanting her under her command. Well, I sure hope she tires of her new acquisition before you get your hands on them. This little weasel is quite handy, one of the best as I said. It is a pity she doesn't know what is good for her though."

Sesshomaru was still standing behind his mother, his eyes now bearing holes in her back. However, when she turned halfway around to see his reaction, he diverted his gaze to the horizon.

"Your words mean nothing to me, Mother. This Sesshomaru is simply weary of waiting for tomorrow's meeting. Time slips away, and even though we have plenty, it is ill advised to waste it on idle chatter."

A smile appeared on the lady's figure, creating shadows underneath her eyes and accentuating the sharpness of her fangs.

"My son, take patience. The reunion will come soon enough; with all the intelligence gathering here you will know of your enemy's whereabouts in due time. In the meanwhile, if you are so weary, feel free to join these youkai. Many games and a feast are planned for today; after all I must entertain my guests. And please, if you could refrain from definitely damaging Sai, I would be grateful, my son. In spite of her weird tastes in love, she is one of my favorite here."

Having said that, she left him at his musings to attend to some of the newcomers. Her white form was soon sitting regally upon her throne, with youkai piling up at her feet, bowing to her in a way the taiyoukai found degrading and disgusting. One such as him did not need such displays to know of his own grandeur, and the pleasure that his mother took in making the less noble youkai beg for her attention sickened him.

Her words though puzzled him immensely. They made absolutely no sense, and yet at the same time they struck a sensible part of him that he did not like in the least, a part that showed its ugly head at the meeting the day earlier. Others would call it jealousy, but he envisioned it as a justified disdain over the short-haired female that ogled his companion. His mother's words could very well be false, a way to provoke him and push him to act as a fool. But what if they were true? What if the reason why he didn't see nor felt Kitana that morning was because she had switched allegiance? Could she put an end to their empathic link if she so desired? Or maybe… Maybe she had fed from someone else, creating another mental connection and thus destroying the first one? The marten did make her attraction toward Kitana very obvious, to him at least, and if he knew one thing about martens and their cousins the lowly weasels, is that they were devious enough to get what they wanted, by any means necessary. Their attitudes were usually out of place and very misguided, but if it was true that the stoat had caught Kitana in her net, he would put an end to it. After all, he wanted his companion right by his side at this moment, not frolicking with the first willing damsel she met.

He lingered in place for a moment, trying to determine if his intervention was justified or if his mother was somehow playing her cards and preparing something. Some plan to strengthen him, of course, but a wicked and dangerous plan altogether.

He finally decided to let events unfold when a large silhouette detached itself from the group of incoming visitors, walking decidedly in his direction. He almost let a sigh escape his lips when the person waved eagerly to him, before shouting in a thunderous voice.

"Sesshomaru-sama! I was looking for you, dear friend!"

"Medved."

As he approached, the bear's cheerful attitude became serious, a rare sight in itself.

"We need to talk, my friend. Away from prying ears, and believe me it won't be easy with all these boot-licking spies congregating."

Sesshomaru was not in the mood for a conversation with the bear, yet at the same time he had never once seen the Russian youkai in such a state of mind. He looked preoccupied, and was looking around them suspiciously, in a nervous way that was totally unlike him. But the bear was his departed father's friend, not his own, and so he turned his back to him and started his way toward his quarters. To his dismay, the great youkai mistook his attitude for an invitation to follow.

"Now is not the time, bear. This Sesshomaru has things to attend to."

"Well, is saving your companion Kitana one of these things? Because if it's not, I think you've got to change your priorities. No offense, my friend."

Sesshomaru's white form slowed down before coming to a halt. Once again, her name had surfaced. How irritating was it that every time he tried to push her away from his mind, to give her his trust and let her do the tasks she decided to undertake last night, one came to him with disturbing news about her?

"Hn."

Both of them headed toward the chambers of the former Lord of the Western Lands.

**SSSSS**

The empty cup of sake made a resonating sound when it was, for the fourth time, knocked on the wooden table.

"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama! I thought I remembered your father's special brew of sake, but my memory was faulty! It is even better than I remembered; shame to me to have forgotten how heavenly this beverage is!"

Sesshomaru was sitting cross-legged on the cushions behind his father's desk, his posture rigid and formal. To his right, the picture of his sire shone in the afternoon light, and to the bear that sat before him the sight was magnificent and reminiscent of old times. That was the reason he gave to obtain the liquor on which he had quickly inebriated himself.

"Now that your memory is refreshed, you will tell me what you so desperately needed to talk about."

The large man raised his head and scratched his red beard pensively.

"What did I need to talk about, again?"

A pair of ember eyes met with his own, and there was no trace of tolerance in them. They meant business.

"Oh yes, my Lord, yes. I wanted to tell you…"

Medved held his breath and looked around them as if he suspected the walls to have ears, sniffing the air to make sure no one was around. This offended Sesshomaru, for he would have detected an indiscreet ear and dispatched it had he sensed its presence.

"I wanted to tell you that you must save Miss Kitana!"

"Kitana-sama."

The bear looked puzzled.

"Huh?"

"For you, she is Kitana-sama, Medved."

The bear opened wide eyes before bowing with reverence.

"Oh, forgive me my Lord. She already made her way into my heart, with her bold attitude when she met me. Most girls cower in fear before me, at least the first time they see me, not like her. But you are right, she is quite deserving of the title. Isn't she?"

"Hn. And why should I waste my time on saving her? As far as I know, she can take care of herself."

The bear shook his head sadly, his eyes almost hidden behind his bushy brows.

"Something that I do not like is going on here, Sesshomaru-sama. This morning, she appeared in the dojo in the company of Sai the marten. Together they directed and arbitrated most of the games offered to the families and offspring of the messengers and spies."

A bland look on his face, Sesshomaru doubted once again his own sanity in accepting the presence of the bear in his study.

"Will you let this happen? Sesshomaru-sama, my friend, I do not recognize you here! Don't you know who she is, this Sai?"

"Mother presented her as the head of her informants, which means a spy, as far as I know. And I don't see how Kitana could be in danger whilst entertaining children and housewives."

The giant man pressed his open palm onto his face, massaging his eyes and chin and sighing before he spoke again.

"No no no, my friend, you have it wrong, so wrong… Spies are not soldiers, they have no hierarchy or chain of command, and if they had one it would certainly not be Sai. She is sometimes used to spy or gather information, but that is not her true line of work. And I heard that Kitana-sama has been hired to be her second. That is an awful thing, an awful thing my friend!"

"And why is it so awful?"

The bear dramatically lowered his head, coming level with Sesshomaru's golden eyes.

"Because she is the executioner here in this castle. She is employed by Yoko the fox to torture and force the truth out of youkai that betrayed your mother and believe me, once one is between her claws, one talk. She is known for the viciousness of the torments she brings upon her victims, and now, Kitana-sama will work at her side. Isn't it terrible?"

The taiyoukai directed his intense gaze to the bear, and after a moment that seemed to stretch infinitely, he spoke a few chosen words.

"You are protecting Kitana-sama's morality eagerly, Medved. Why do you assume she did not choose this by her own free will?"

Sesshomaru's words had stunned the bear, and the taiyoukai's piercing gaze froze him into place.

"You mean… You mean she could actually be willing?"

No answer came forth, only the hard look from icy golden eyes.

"But the marten is a devious one. Word is spreading that she wants Kitana-sama under her command in the bed as well as in the torture room. Isn't that terrible? Soldiers and servants alike are shocked by this scandal and it wouldn't surprise me if one of them attempted something against Kitana-sama. They wouldn't dare approach Sai herself, they know too well what would happen to them if they did, but a weak youkai such as Kitana is easy prey for them. I tell you my friend, I'm afraid they won't let such an unnatural thing happen here, and they won't be soft of her.

And there is also the matter of the fox, who was up until now the official bed companion of the marten. He seems to appreciate your friend a lot, Sesshomaru-sama, in an indecent way. He even accepted both girls under his command, not caring about the scandalous gossiping going on. If things go on, Kitana-sama will be dishonored and maybe even killed. Why would you let such a fate to befall your lover, my friend?"

In answer, an eyebrow was lifted, and upon seeing this the bear youkai almost visibly shrunk in despair.

"Hn. Lovers we are certainly not. You try my patience, Medved, and you are dismissed. Go cure your sake, and do not worry yourself over Kitana's wellbeing again. She is a grown woman; she knows how to care for herself."

The bear waited a moment before rising on shaky legs, searching for an answer in the bland face of his friend's son. He finally gave up and made his way toward the door, his determination flattened by his failure. Shoulders abated, he stopped just before exiting the room.

"I sure hope you know what you are doing, my friend. I sure hope."

That being said, he left Sesshomaru to his musings.

**SSSSS**

Twilight was finally entering the room as the sun continued its travel toward the horizon. The air was chilled by the approach of the night, and yet the white haired taiyoukai who sat on the cushions behind his father's desk did not care about it in the slightest.

He had spent the remainder of the afternoon pondering over many difficult subjects. Things lately had been moving fast, and this time spent by himself waiting for information to come to him was both a frustration and a gift. He used it to review the reasons behind his presence on his mother's turf, which although humiliating, were very logical and well thought out. His disdain for his enemy Naraku was quickly turning into hatred, and he was finally accepting it. No matter how much he despised expressing emotions, he had come to term with this particular one and now he could not wait to see how he would feel when his enemy would fall to the ground, fatally wounded by the sword born from his very flesh.

Those matters were quickly resolved, and his past decisions reviewed and confirmed easily. As the sun set, his mind was now upon the biggest puzzle of his present life. Sesshomaru was musing over his companion's attitude which had gone in the past days from open friendliness to a more reserved, closed-up demeanour, tinted with a sadness that wasn't unlike grief in a certain way, and a despair he couldn't begin to understand. Then the outburst of yesterday night when she declared to him how she intended to become useful was in total contrariety with her behavior mere hours ago at the meeting with his mother's puppets. Adding to that the fact that their emotional link was slowly fading away, and he was at a lost concerning her. What was going on with Kitana was out of his grasp, incomprehensible, and it only added to his present frustration.

What he knew however, as much as he despised to admit it, was that he would not let her abandon him for the marten. At the moment, he wanted her right by his side, under his control, and he didn't know if it was still the case. Could he trust the words spoken about her betrayal, about her change of camp, her infatuation with a lowly creature not worthy of cleaning the dust from her feet? He couldn't believe this change of situation, not after her declaration of the previous night, but he had terrible doubts that he could not silence or ignore. The fact he knew for sure was that she was in turmoil, her soul torn by terrible feelings and it started when she saw the portrait of his father. That was when her confidence and happiness crumbled to the ground in pieces, and everything else went downhill afterward. Would his father once again deprive him of what was rightfully his, even beyond his grave?

As the last ray of sun disappeared on the horizon, his patience dimmed and died. He rose on his feet, determined to seek Kitana out, investigate her relationship with the marten and if what his mother and the bear told him were found to be true, he would shake some sense back into her. He could not understand why she would prefer this Sai over him; after all, he was infinitely more powerful than the crafty little mink, his social position couldn't be better, and he offered her freedom of movement and mind where the stoat could only enslave her and make her a puppet. His jaws and fist closed down forcefully when he thought about her past as a slave, the abuses she had to go through in order to live, and he couldn't begin to fathom why she would go back to that kind of life. It wasn't love, he would have felt it. As for the lust and physical attraction that was so obvious between the two females, he could surely provide it if it was what she needed. Yes; power, freedom and carnal satisfaction were things he could offer her easily, and freely. If she had strayed, he would get her back at his side; how far would he have to go to achieve this depended on her.

But he would not be betrayed without consequences.

**SSSSS**

Under the light of the moon and the burning torches, the main courtyard was teeming with life; life in so many diverse forms that it was dizzying to the non-initiated that was Kitana. A great feast had been put together by the servants of the castle, and every kind of youkai that could walk, crawl, fly or levitate toward the center of the flying castle was rewarded by a variety of food worthy to be presented to a king. Most of them were humanoid creatures with various features that distinguished them from humans, such as scales, claws, wings or fangs. These appeared to be the most respected youkai in the courtyard, the others giving way to them when they approached a table or one of the sitting areas covered with plush cushions and set at the periphery of the place.

Other youkai appeared more like animals walking on two legs and sporting clothes, fur covering their whole bodies and speech impeded by tongues and larynx not made to produce words. Plants and minerals seemed to be part of the lot as well, some having a pleasant facial expression, others having no head or eyes visible.

Many of the youkai had children with them, and the little ones were running wildly around the adults, playing tricks on each other like any normal kid. Except that the tricks in question were of a more deadly sort, as was illustrated when a small elemental youkai used his fire magic on a young bird youkai, instantly making its feathers turn to ridiculous melted twigs. The parents though didn't seem to mind, as it was clear that the very same fate would be brought upon any bird foolish enough to take on an adult fire youkai.

Amongst the crowd, a curious trio was walking slowly, youkai of every status making way for them with fear in their eyes. A young marten female was walking boldly ahead of her companions, not sparing a look for the commoners assembled around them. Her short black hair was carefully groomed into spikes that gave her an aggressive, ominous look only accentuated by the dark grey shadows underlining her eyes. The dress that she wore on that occasion was revealing to say the least; on her right shoulder was the only strap that held the charcoal and grey silk on her petite frame, the color contrasting vividly with her pale white skin and the striated grey markings on her forearms and hands. The garment ended up unevenly midway down her left calf, going further up on her right hip before descending again in her back. Attached on the muscled length of her right calf with a leather strap was a short but deadly looking dagger, its silver hilt engraved with the design of a snarling mustelid.

Following closely behind was a regal looking fox youkai, wearing an extravagant green kimono with bright orange and gold embroidering. His red hair bound into a high ponytail cascaded down to his waist, and he kept playing with a loose strand while looking disdainfully at the crowd gathered on the castle's courtyard as if they were mere ants running at his feet. His attention was although focused on the female walking beside the marten, and in between two sneers at drunken youkai he always brought his eyes back to her. To her backside, to be precise, which was swaying sensuously from left to right, then right to left, sending a hypnotic wave in the long flowing translucent black pants that barely covered her forms.

Kitana was dressed for the occasion just as she was for the disastrous meeting of the previous day. The golden ornaments on her head, tail and back spines reflected the light of the torches that were being lighted in preparation for sundown. She was well aware of the eyes of the fox upon her, but she paid him no mind. She was walking proudly behind Sai, dark glares daring any youkai to come up in public against their couple. So far none had risen to the challenge, all being quite submissive before the marten and fox that were accompanying her, but she could feel their blood boiling at their approach.

When they finally navigated their way through the whole crowd, reaching the tables where the food was offered, a tall creature detached itself from the others and made its way toward them. A huge tower of muscles and fat, crowned by a thick red beard and severe looking red eyebrows, finally stopped moving mere feet before the trio, menacing them by its height only.

"Medved-sama."

The fox and marten saluted the giant bear with a slight bow of the head, crudely announcing their superiority over the wandering traveller. The bear returned the salute, rigidly.

"Do you have something to say, Medved-sama? Don't you enjoy this pleasant evening, all the food, the company and the music? You are ruining it for us though, so please speak or let us have our fun."

The bear clenched his fists, clearly stricken by anger at the fox's words, but managed to keep his cool.

"It is a pleasant evening; the food is great. The company could be better though, and the music I didn't notice."

The fox raised a single eyebrow.

"Oh? The company could be better? Are you speaking of anyone in particular, bear?"

The chest of the huge bear youkai seemed to inflate even more upon hearing this comment, but he shook his head.

"No; I tire easily of company, I am a loner. But if you don't mind, I would like a word in private with Lady Kitana here."

Sai was silent, her untrusting eyes fixed upon the large youkai. Kitana appeared passive, not really acknowledging the demand of the bear and not really refusing it either. Both girls appeared to be waiting for the events to unfold.

The fox turned his head toward the black skinned female and an evil smirk appeared on his face. Boldly, he encircled her waist with his arm and put his other hand on her shoulder, bringing her as close to him as he could. Sai followed his cue by placing herself on the other side of Kitana and leaning a bit against her, her arms folded and a smile on her lips that matched the sneer on the fox's lips.

"And what do you have to say to my friend here that we can't hear? Because we are close friends, you know. Very close. We can certainly share what you need to say, bear."

With eyes enlarged by disbelief, Medved tried to speak but appeared as though he couldn't find the words. Finally, he turned around and left them, only to change his mind at the last second and come back, facing Kitana's gold and black gaze.

"Kitana-sama. Whatever you think you are doing with these two, it's going to end badly. Please come to your senses. Sesshomaru-sama will forgive you if you go back to him."

Kitana's attitude went from indifferent to angered when she heard these words, and she detached herself from her new friends to face the bear, eyes reduced to slits that reminded them all of her previous travelling companion.

"This has nothing to do with Sesshomaru. Mind your own business, bear."

A large smile on his face, Yoko heartily applauded Kitana's outburst, while Sai was already running after the irate female who had left them with no warning. Saddened by the unexpected attitude of the one he wanted to help, and irritated by the gleeful laughing of the fox, Medved the great Russian bear shook his head and left the scene, going toward the tables offering alcohol. This country had no vodka, but their sake would certainly do.

**SSSSS**

This was the scene that unfolded under the watchful eyes of Sesshomaru. His ire only grew when he witnessed Kitana walking side by side with the marten, and followed by the devious fox. It was more than a confirmation of what he thought was only gossip, malicious gossip intended to put him off balance in a crucial moment; it was truth, bare truth that hurt like hell. But the moment the fox embraced Kitana in a gesture even him, who shared his soul and maybe more than that with her, would not dare perpetrating, his anger flared. He would have jumped right into the crowd to slay the fox, had Kitana only lifted a finger in denial of his bold advances. But to his dismay, she did not push him away. She was clearly with the marten, but she accepted the touch of the fox. It was like he fell into a very cold, icy lake and sank to the bottom of it. So instead of attacking, he stood motionless, frozen into place, on the rooftop that allowed him a perfect view of the courtyard.


	29. Chapter 29

Author's note: here we go again. Please don't kill me, or try to, or send someone to do so. I beg you. I don't like happy endings, but we are still far from the end…

I received PMs about the times I listed some music titles that accompanied a chapter in a suitable way, apparently some of you liked that. If it's the case, then I suggest you dig up in your music to find these titles, they accompanied me when I wrote and revised this chapter.

Have fun, once again don't be angry at me, and please review! I love reviews! :o)

Ariane Moffatt's interpretation of Everybody hurts and Goodnight Moon, this girl is a phenomenon!

Creed – One last breath

Ian Kelly – Take me home

Pearl Jam – Just breathe

Gaetan Roussel – Help myself (okay, some bits are in french, but so what? This song is addictive…)

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 29**

Standing on a rooftop above the crowd of youkai, suspended between the starry night sky and the cruelty of life on Earth was a white ethereal silhouette. At this precise moment in time, loneliness could not be defined more accurately than by looking at this creature, lost in the darkest recess of his mind, trying to regain his composure and face the world once again. Withdrawing within himself, he stepped with a mad joy upon his faith and expectations, shattering them as best as he could. Feelings for another person were only a source of weakness, he had known it all along but somehow in the last weeks this certitude had started to crack and become hollow. On this dark night, utter loneliness had claimed back its old quarters and kicked everything else out of the way. It wrapped itself in anger, bitterness and deception, feeding on them to grow and become stronger. But in this soul that was quickly rebuilding a strong armor around itself, loneliness could not yet claim victory, not totally. A small shiver of hope was curled in a corner somewhere in there, trying its best not to draw attention to itself, but keeping an eye on the world around in case it could grab onto something and be saved from annihilation.

Down below him, Sesshomaru could follow the rapid escape of Kitana from the proximity of the bear and fox. She was quickly approaching his outpost, putting distance between the main crowd and her. Behind was the sly marten, following at a quick pace her newly found obsession. And then, as the females came close to him, something struck him.

He could feel her emotions again.

Their link was dying, but not dead yet, and as she came closer it grew stronger. She was hurt, angry and hurt.

He kept his eyes trained on her, as she came to a stop a few meters past him. Never once did she turn his way to acknowledge his presence, but she wasn't the only one; so far none had noticed him.

The marten soon caught up with Kitana, placing a firm hand on her right shoulder and forcing her to turn around.

"Stop, Kitana, stop that! What's wrong?"

Anger flared from the onyx female when she whirled around to face the little spy.

"What's wrong? What's wrong you ask?"

Her voice was high and tensed, full of pain.

"I can't stand this anymore, Sai! Did you hear this stupid oaf? As if I cared about Sesshomaru at all! I don't want to be associated with him anymore, do you understand? I don't want this to go on! And here the bear comes with his promises of forgiveness, as if I was the faulty one for leaving the fucking dog! All of this is wrong, and I wish I would never have met him!"

Sesshomaru couldn't believe he heard such words from Kitana. Surely it couldn't be, surely it was only a wicked infiltration plan to gain the enemy's trust, for he could not believe she would really mean what she said. Forcing himself to stay calm and suppressing his own emotions, he managed to stay in place and continue his watch over the girl.

They had stopped on the outskirts of the courtyard, away from the main activities and feast, near the stand that lodged the orchestra. Sesshomaru frowned when he saw Kitana suddenly take hold of Sai's hand and pull her toward the small group of musicians. The marten tried to yank her hand away but to no avail; they were definitely going toward the band, and they were going there together.

"Do you dance, Sai?"

Confusion written all over her features, the young female stuttered an answer.

"Dan-, dance?"

"Yes, do you dance? I seriously need to vent, and I can't go on a rampage here. Come."

Under Sesshomaru's watchful eyes, Kitana let go of Sai when they reached the small area reserved for the band. They were far from the main activities, which explained in part why no one had noticed the music. The other reason for the lack of attention was simple...

"What you are playing is boring as hell, guys. Do you want to put us to sleep or what? I've heard better even in human villages. What you do is worse than plain old human music."

The members of the small orchestra gave her irritated looks, but continued playing their instruments as if she was not interfering. They were from varied species of youkai, all of them aloof and full of themselves. They were dressed as if they wanted to blend in the background, their formal kimonos in plain brown and grey colors with black obis. A couple of humanoid reptiles were playing a Biwa lute and a koto, their claws filed to prevent them from cutting the strings of the delicate instruments. A bird of some sort with a long pointy nose and pure white wings sprouting out of its back was expertly playing a dragon flute, and there was a trio of muscled animalistic boars with tusks protruding out of their mouths in charge of the percussions. Or rather, in charge of taking a nap while the others played their string and wind instruments.

Ruffling his feathers, the bird addressed her with a superior attitude.

"We are performing traditional music in a style dictated to us by the Lady of this castle. Nothing more, nothing less."

Shrugging, Kitana pushed him a little more.

"Then if I asked you to play in a more lively way, would you do it for me?"

The bird took another look at her out the corner of his eyes.

"It would be ill-advised to play one of our instruments in any other way."

"And why is that?"

A disdainful smirk appeared at the corners of the bird's beak.

"Well, these instruments are demonic by nature; they feed off youki and life energy. A crowd such as this would be easily possessed by these. No one would be able to stop dancing, and some may even faint from the lack of energy."

Kitana shrugged once again.

"Well, it wouldn't kill them, and at least it would be entertaining, don't you agree, flutist?"

The bird cocked his head to the side and slowly, a sly smile reached his mouth.

"Hn. What do you want exactly, young girl?"

"What I want is rather simple. Will you help us have a more pleasant night, musician? Or do I need to help you do so?"

On these words, she rattled her claws on the rim of one of the drums quite rapidly, taking care not to touch the leather itself.

"Kitana, maybe it would be wise to listen to him, after all he knows these instruments better than you do, don't you think? Beside we don't need to play music with them to dance, they are already playing a waltz, why don't we dance on their music?"

The onyx skinned female looked at the petite form of the marten and smiled in a way that confused her. She was still angry and her wrath was apparent in this unpleasant smile.

"Sai, if you think this is music, then you are sorely mistaken. We will dance, and then you will understand the difference. Now, let's see what these guys can do!"

She whirled around and in two fast strides she was facing the trio of bored boars, the drummers who didn't have much to do in this evening. Their instruments were not really necessary in traditional music, and they had watched the bold female's antics with interest. Maybe their night wouldn't be that bad after all, if the crowd and the black skinned girl were to be possessed by a feisty spirit. They straightened a little when Kitana approached them, sending each other amused glares and waiting for her to do something, anything that would alleviate their boredom.

"Hey guys. How are you doing tonight? Want to shake this place a little bit? Think you can follow me?"

The three boars looked at each other, bemused but also amused by her frank and provocative approach. The bird had asked for their presence because they were known as a fine trio of drummers, but so far the songs he chose did not need their talents. They were powerful in their own right, and had no attachment to the Lady of this castle if other than receiving their retribution, but goods and food were nothing to them compared to the pleasure of playing their instruments. The smaller one, who was also the oldest, addressed the black clad female.

"Well, little lady, the real question is will you be able to keep up with us?"

A crooked and toothy smile was his answer. Kitana came closer to the small boar, facing him, and closed her eyes. She took her time to absorb herself into the song that was being played, subtly marking the beat with small touches on the drum. Slowly, she opened up her eyes and grinned at the boars before aggressively hitting her drum with the tip of her fingers, exactly on the off-beat.

The sound that resonated was crisp and sharp, and accentuated a high note of the flute. She waited for the same sound to come up again then repeated her movement, all the while looking at the percussionists. The fourth time, she added two other sounds, making a triplet of two high notes and a grave, resonating low note.

The triplet repeated itself five or six times before one of the boars reacted to it. It was with a well placed duo of notes that he answered her, inserting the notes right in between her own, making it sound as if they were calling and answering to each other. After a couple of repetition, the younger brother couldn't help to enter the melody and he did it with brio; a series of seven notes entered the improvised partition, sometimes just emphasizing the others by being played at the very same moment, sometimes adding a sound where there were none.

The flutist's smile was growing larger and even more wicked, when he actively entered the new beat with his instrument. With a sharp glance in their direction he pushed the reptiles to do the same, and a few moments later a lively and rhythmic melody was coming from their little group.

Sesshomaru could have rolled his eyes at the antics of the black skinned creature if he hadn't been in such a bad mood. A similar night in her company came to his mind, only to be buried under the weight of his sadness and anger. Loneliness came back with a vengeance as he was not part of anything this time, only a secondary character peeping from the shadows on a scene where he had no role to play. But no matter how much it hurt to be the witness of this scene, he could not go away. Not yet. Not when he had started to receive her emotions again. He closed his eyes, savouring the music which was truly wild and magic, and opened them up only to be once again trampled by the harshness of reality.

Before him, Kitana had put the drum back on the floor and had turned toward Sai with an almost predatory gleam in her eyes. He recognized this gaze; although it was still a golden and black one, it was the same as when the female was tracking her prey with him at her side. She was intent on the kill, or rather on getting to what she wanted, and the pursuit had begun.

Sai backed up a little under this intense glare but had no time to move further away; Kitana was encircling her waist with her right arm, her leg wrapping behind the youkai's knee. Eyes wide open in surprise, the young marten felt her blood boil in her veins and her heart beat stronger than ever when her partner reached down with her other hand and barely touched her thigh, languorously moving up until she reached the bottom of the dress. Stiffly, she swallowed the saliva that had pool in her mouth and tried to calm down. She couldn't say a word of protest or acceptance as Kitana's hand continued to move a little further up, grazing her hip. Instead, she placed her own hand on the waist of her partner and together, they started to move on the music.

Atop the roof, hope was loosing its battle. Sadness, loneliness and resentment were slowly eating it away, bit by bit, chunk by chunk, and the small amount that was still resisting destruction shivered under the sight of the couple dancing in the courtyard.

At first, the assembled youkai had moved toward the music in a reflex motion. The event was not particularly entertaining, except for those who wanted to chat idly while sipping sake or eating, and most of the youkai was ready for something to happen, anything. The children were the first to join Sai and Kitana, happily bouncing and running around the musicians and them. The first adults to arrive were startled to see the two females dancing together in a most intimate way, following the rhythm of the music with mere inches of air between them, but youkai were no humans and their level of inhibitions had nothing in common. Most of them simply shrugged the idea of a couple of females as just another youkai eccentricity, and the rest were too afraid of retribution by the marten to say a word. In a matter of minutes after the beginning of the rhythmic melody, the whole courtyard was moving with the beat, couples turning and dancing, single people finding a partner or moving on their own to follow the music. As more people entered the dance, their energy filled the air and the instruments started to feed on it, slowly intensifying the music. The night would be a hot one.

"Aren't they sensual, Sesshomaru-sama? I could be fooled and think they are both little vixens… And tonight they will be mine, both of them… Thank you for bringing Kitana here with you, my Lord…"

Sesshomaru came out of his trance like immobility when the fox's mocking words reached him. With his face as blank as ever, he appeared to be totally detached of the scene unfurling down below, but the damn Yoko had just lit the match that would set his soul on fire. The pressure accumulated in the last day while he was trying to determine if his friend had turned against him, or if it was just a strategy to spy on the enemy, was finally breaking down his barriers. Not even blinking, he swirled around faster than the eye could see and struck at the fox with his claws, but his opponent was a cunning creature; he had expected to fall victim to such an attack and was gone as soon as the last words left his lips.

The taiyoukai lost no time searching for his prey; he jumped down into the courtyard, where he stood for a moment in the midst of the dancers. The Yoko was right ahead, and he was talking with Kitana, apparently asking her for a dance. Sesshomaru straightened up and started to walk toward them, navigating expertly and easily between the dancing couples. With each step he took his resolve grew stronger; he would assess the loyalty of his former ally by himself. He should never have cared about gossips, after all appearances are often deceptive. Something important had started to grow between the two of them way before they set foot in this fortress, something he wanted to see flourish and bloom, or be destroyed by his very hand. He would not be cast aside, wrapped in his loneliness, without a fight. And if the betrayal was true, then the wretched couple of vermin would have their lives taken away this very night, for he would not allow his hopes to be desecrated by some insignificant perverted murderers. As for Kitana… He would decide her fate later, if he ever needed to.

He reached the trio just as the fox extended his hand for Kitana to take, and then turned to face him with a devious smile on his lips.

"Lord Sesshomaru. I didn't know you would be here with us tonight. You honor us."

The white haired dog did not pay any attention to the hypocritical bow of the spy; instead, he was focused on Kitana. The woman was absolutely immobile, looking at him with wide eyes and clenched jaws. She was not one to be violently forced to obey, as she had demonstrated countless times in the past. He would have to speak with her to understand what was going on, and she wouldn't allow that if he slayed her suitors beforehand. He schooled his face in his perfect mask of indifference, nothing of his inner struggle visible from the outside, and with a slight bow of the head he extended his hand to Kitana.

"Would you grant me the pleasure of dancing with you?"

He could never have anticipated her reaction.

As he straightened a little to look her in the eyes, a overpowering wave of fear washed over him, taking his breath away as a blow to the stomach would have done.

How could she be frightened by him?

This very thought was extremely upsetting to Sesshomaru. Not understanding, he locked gaze with her and in her eyes, he saw only the confirmation of what he felt; she was afraid of him, and as he frowned in confusion, her fear grew even stronger.

Around the four of them, people continued to dance, forced to do so by the enchanted music, but an empty circle was slowly being created in the courtyard, with them in the middle of it. Sai was slowly retreating to one side, doing her best to increase the distance between her and the other three while taking care not to be bumped by the dancers. The atmosphere in the courtyard was bizarre and wrong, youkai dancing on a joyful music with fear distorting their faces was not a normal sight. Tension was escalating as the white and black creatures stared at one another, one with an impassive expression, the other starting to shake under the pressure. Even the fox decided it was best to move away, and with a light sheen of sweat on his brow he followed his lover, judging it would be best to observe from a distance.

"I… I can't…"

Sesshomaru inhaled deeply, smelling the disgusting aroma of fear coming from the youkai surrounding them, but he could not decipher the meanings behind her strange spicy scent. Adrenaline pumped through his veins in a response to the olfactory stimulation and his heartbeat raised accordingly. He could only rely on their bond to know more about her disposition, and what he felt was unpleasant.

"Are you afraid of This Sesshomaru, woman? I merely asked for a dance."

Fascinated, he followed the movement of her throat as she swallowed nervously, and he caught her chin in his hand when she turned her head away from him.

"Answer me."

His forceful tone of voice seemed to awaken some courage in the black skinned woman, and her voice was more firm when she spoke.

"I won't dance with you. I don't want anything to do with you anymore, Sesshomaru. I wished you would understand by yourself. Leave me alone!"

She removed her face from his grip and defiantly stared at him, anger laced within her fear. He had seen such reactions in cornered animals, and he knew what could come out of it. When terrified preys found the strenght to fight back, even the more placid herbivore could transform into a killing machine. And this woman was by no mean a harmless grazing beast.

The courtyard was teeming with life, youkai were engaged in a merry dance upon which they had no control even though they would all have turned tail and fled long ago if given the choice. The presence of a crowd of onlookers did not please the taiyoukai; he would not be made a fool of in front of his mother's vassals. Knowing her weapons as well as his own, in a flash of white he wrapped his fur pelt around Kitana and grabbed the resulting lump with his arm, before forming a luminous ball of youki around them and carrying her away from the feast.

**SSSSS**

He let go of her as soon as they hit the ground, about halfway from the courtyard to his chambers. He intended to reach the secluded garden but she prevented it by struggling so much he couldn't hold onto her anymore. He unfurled his furs rapidly, and pushed her in an alleyway that separated two adjoining buildings, away from prying ears.

To his relief, she wasn't afraid anymore. Her fears had been replaced by a righteous annoyance bordering on anger, but retaliating to her kidnapping was clearly not her intentions. She was standing before him and he couldn't help to notice how the silky material of her clothes accentuated the beauty of her natural curves and revealed the tone of the muscles hidden beneath them; he walked toward her.

"What's your problem, Sesshomaru? What the hell do you think you are doing?"

He cocked his head slightly to the right, and stopped about three paces from her. At this distance, he could feel her emotions as well a his own, and it reassured him. Skimming through the waves of different feelings and wondering how this creature could keep her cool with so many emotions swirling wildly inside her, he tried to understand what she was up to. He was not fond of unnecessary conversations, and if he could learn the truth about her loyalty to him, if he could know if it still existed or not without asking, he much preferred it this way.

And he found it; deep within her heart, was hidden what he was searching for.

He crossed the distance that separated them in a single step and his hand caught her by the nape of her neck, his fingers tenderly but firmly pressed against her flesh. Her true flesh, soft and smooth and warm, not dull and artificial like the suit she wore. He pulled her to him, never letting go of her eyes with his own intense gaze. He felt her hands press against his armored chest as she tried to regain her balance, and his skin beneath all these protective layers of metal and silk seemed to burst open in flames under her unvoluntary touch. Before surprise wore off, he caught her lower lip between his own and sucked on it lightly, then more eagerly, tasting it with the tip of his tongue. His eyes closed under the blissful sensation that the kiss gave him, satisfaction and need intertwined together to create a contradictory emotion that travelled through his veins to the depths of his chest. He intensified the contact, forcefully taking over her lips, heat spreading down to pool at his abdomen and groin. Suddenly, the warmth that was now taking over his whole body reached up to his face in a burning sensation.

He had been slapped.

He opened his eyes only to discover the angry face of his partner, of the one he wanted to become closer to. He frowned under the intensity of her wrath; this reaction was not what he expected.

"What the hell got into you, dog boy? Are you going crazy?"

Her hands were not on him anymore, and the distance between them had reached astronomical proportions. She was waiting for an answer, and she would get one.

"Do you deny having feelings for me, woman?"

For an instant Kitana looked stunned and confused. She shook her head and managed to speak a few words.

"Feelings? For you?"

"We share a mutual attraction; it would be foolish to lie to ourselves any longer and pretend it does not exist."

A hiss escaped her lips and her tail swiped around her twice before calming down.

"Oh, the nerves of you! Don't tell me you suddenly grew a heart, and at the worst moment ever! Why couldn't you continue to ignore these so-called feelings? What triggered this… this behavior, suddenly? I told you, I want nothing to do with you anymore. Isn't it clear enough for you?"

"Your words have no meaning to This Sesshomaru. The purpose of your acts of betrayal was only to gain the trust of our enemies. That is clear enough to me now. So tell me, why ignore something that would please both of us?"

Under his eyes, the flaring anger of the dark predator modified her stance and straightened her up, and it was in a low, icy tone of voice that she answered him.

"Gain the trust of our enemies? You mean your enemies! Don't you see how you forced me to do your bidding? Under the cover of friendship you manipulated me and used me, Sesshomaru. Then as I desperatly tried to please you, another path was opened to me, and I gladly took it. You speak of me betraying you, but don't you see how it was you who betrayed my trust first of all? Then you arrive, mounted on your high horse, speaking about feelings and trying to erase it all with a kiss, a kiss for goodness sake! Who do you think you are, dog?"

Once again, doubt insinuated itself in Sesshomaru's soul. He had been comforted when he found in her the same tenderness and love that was present this fated day in Bokusenou's forest, and he had taken it for granted that it was directed toward him, but what if… What if it was not? She often spoke about the difficulty to understand the cause of an emotion she received from another person. What if his understanding was totally wrong? What if what she said was true, that she really wanted to sever the link between them? Not only the mental link, but the relationship they had started to share? Was it really a mistake he made that created this whole mess, this rift that kept growing between them?

"Answer my question, woman. Do you deny your feelings for This Sesshomaru?"

His face was like a mask, his white clad body tall and strong and cold. Standing before him, her forms the darkest shades of black, was this female who was maybe not as tall and as strong, but who had an even colder attitude.

"I do not deny anything; I cared for you. But not anymore. Go your own way, and I will do the same. Don't you understand how the link beween us clouded your judgment and manipulated you in believing you love me? Don't you see the wrongness of it all?"

His earlier eavesdropping on her conversation with Sai in the courtyard, the words that hurt him so much at that moment, were nothing compared to the icy shower he just received from her. All warmth left his voice as he answered with a question.

"The wrongness?"

"Yes."

She backed again, before jumping backward and landing five feet high upon the side of the closest white alabaster wall. Her black toes with their three inches long claws clung to the vertical surface and supported her entire weight, her tights and calves tensing under the pressure as she crouched and settled with her eyes level to the taiyoukai's intense golden gaze.

"Isn't it clear to you by now that the stupid link between us amplifies any emotion we share? Mere amusement triggers laughthers, mutual anger becomes rage, friendship grows into full blown love. Can't you see how we can be made the fools of a sinister farce if we don't pay attention to these similar emotions and prevent them to reach uncontrolled heights?"

He did not answer; her words were like poison to him, sullying what had become pure to his eyes. How he wished he would never have wanted anything more than platonic companionship with the otherworldly creature. His heart that was once so well protected, to the point of being thought absent or frozen by all others, was now at risk of being destroyed by the acid that flowed from her mouth as well as in her veins. To his mind came back all these days spent in hell doing his best to ignore the way his body reacted to her proximity, all his time lost thinking about how she had sparked his curiosity to the point where he would track her down rather than let her go away, fight a dragon rather than let her die. He relived the endless hours spent meditating to try to halt the flow of emotions she involuntarily sent to him. Then he saw how his mind opened up to his heart instead of suppressing its calls, his discovery of the place she had carved for herself in his soul, in his flesh, and his reluctance at admitting the evidence of his attachment to her. Finally, he saw the events of that fated day in Bokusenou's forest where he plunged in the deepest parts of his soul to rescue her, finding not only what he expected to find, but also a strongly rooted love for the black female that turned his life upside down.

In a few choice phrases, she had just spat upon all the turmoil he fought against in the last months, on his victory against the emotions he despised so much and the strength that they gave him when he learned how to control them. She had spat on his feelings for her, on her own love for him, and she was definitely turning her back to him.

"I see. It appears you prefer the company of vermins over all I can offer to you. They will use you as well. Your days as a slave are just beginning."

She chuckled.

"Don't be afraid, I told you I would never be a slave again. They will use me, of course, but they won't hide it under the cover of friendship or love. With them, I can be myself, kill all I want without the guilt that comes with it. Hell, they will even pay me for doing it!"

He wanted to jump up and erase the wicked smile that was settling upon her face with his claws, but each one of his feet were so heavy now he didn't think he could even move.

"Hn. Then do as you wish."

Her smile widening, she bowed to him and jumped up higher on the opposing wall, before reaching the roof where she disappeared. Alone in the alleyway, the impassive taiyoukai turned around and started walking back to his own quarters. His thoughts were in a terrible chaos and he fought hard to restrain and cage his feelings. Old habits die hard though, and soon enough the turmoil of conflicting emotions caused by the ebony traitor was safely locked away, ready to be forgotten. For an instant, he entertained the thought of tracking and killing the trio, but he could not bring himself to do it. Oh, of course the fox and marten would meet their end if they ever wander in his path, but Kitana… He couldn't kill her more than he could kill Rin or himself.

When he reached the architectural wonder that had been his father's chambers, he hesitated before the stairs. A sudden desire to leave this nightmarish place at full speed, to go back to his life of wandering and forget the last months of his life came to him. How blissful it would be to see Rin running at him with the kappa in tow, and never again set foot in this fortress that only brought him harm and sorrow. But at the same instant, his vision was filled with the image of Naraku's disgusting body, his maniacal laugh echoed in his ears, the pungent smell of his miasma invaded his nostrils and he removed the very idea of fleeing from his mind. The hanyou was the embodiment of every evil that had befallen him in his life, every loss that he suffered, the perfect target for his wrath, and tomorrow he would be within his reach. He had no doubt about his mother's abilities at finding his nemesis, once she was sent on a track she did not relent until her prey was caught. And it would maybe give him the occasion to destroy the filthy vermins that dared to take what was rightfully his. Oh yes, he would not leave this place with them still standing; he could smell their musky odor somewhere close by, as they were probably searching for their newst paytoy. Tomorrow would be the last time they would see the sun rise, and soon enough Naraku's days would also come to an end.

In its corner, hope took a last breath, closed its eyes and exhaled, its death not even noticed.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Cha****pter 30**

Eyes closed, his face exposed to the fresh air of the night, Sesshomaru was immersed up to the shoulders into the small pond of his private garden. He decided the cool waters would help clear up his mind and calm down his temper, and he was partly right; after a few moments spent looking at the night sky while soaking in the peace of his quarters, he somehow managed to regain his composure.

He was not one to be led by sentiments and emotions, but this time the events affected him in what was both the most guarded and fragile part of himself, a place some would call a heart. He had heard before that love and hatred were really close to each other, if not the very same, and at the moment he had discarded the notion as being ridiculous. Since he had been tricked by the devious Naraku who gave him a human arm but then tried to absorb him, he thought he had developed hatred for the hanyou. He also believed that his half-brother Inuyasha was deserving of his hatred, for always taking away from him what was rightfully his.

But now he knew better.

What he felt toward Naraku and Inuyasha was not hatred; they were his enemies, Naraku even more than Inuyasha, but he did not truly hate them. He loathed them, found them beneath any consideration and wanted to be the one to put an end to their days.

Hatred had a different face; a black face with golden eyes, onyx eyes with no white in them. A face with extendable jaws, with cheeks that could rip apart to allow these jaws to strike. Hatred was corrosive and black, feminine and strong, gentle and selfless. Hatred became love when he thought about it too much, and so he understood why one should not engage in fights based on hatred. Killing the hated one was like killing a part of him, it was like striking through his own heart, ripping his very throat open, spilling his own entrails on the floor to die in agony. Yet he would not die, for the blow was not physical but emotional and in many ways it was much, much worse.

When his father asked him if he had someone to protect, he had almost laughed out loud at the very idea. He did not need someone to protect, for it was only a weakness. Even though he had started to give some consideration to the idea, now he dismissed it totally. He saw clearly now how gigantic a weakness love for someone was, for when the protected one became an enemy, it was as if he was being destroyed from the inside out.

He did not hate Naraku and Inuyasha; he would be delighted by their deaths.

As his thoughts calmed down under the soothing effect of the cold waters and his resolve to put his blade though his enemies' flesh hardened, he was caught totally unaware.

Coming out of nowhere, a voice reached his ears; a wheezy voice that he couldn't possibly be hearing for all accesses to that private garden were forbidden. Yet, the elderly turtle was surely oblivious of that fact, for she was sitting in a lotus position right beside his armor, clothes and swords, eyes half closed and looking very contented.

"You are a very stupid dog, Lord Sesshomaru. Very stupid. I would have thought your Father raised you better than that. Or was it your Mother? Mmmm, it would explain everything then…"

It was certainly not the right moment to address the taiyoukai with disrespect; already enraged by Kitana's betrayal, he was not inclined to show mercy to anyone foolish enough to provoke him directly. Yet, the small and elderly turtle was amongst the very rare beings that would make him pause before killing them, and she knew it. He studied her out the corner of his eye, but remained immobile and did not react to her words in any way.

"You have changed, young lord; from the time you were but a mere puppy to now, it appears that many things have happened. One thing however has stayed the same: your inability to accept being denied what you want. I should have given you more spankings back then, maybe that would have made a difference. Or was it the bear that was responsible of the corrections? That soft-hearted idiot couldn't hurt a fly, unless it stung him of course. He was too gentle on you; just look at the results."

Not seeing where this was going and irritated by her one-sided conversation, Sesshomaru turned and extended his hand to retrieve his clothes. He sat up on the edge of the pond, covering himself with his haori, and then raising to put his hakama on. He then took a look at his person, his clothes soaked from the water he did not took the time to remove from his skin and hair, and unconsciously he called forth his youki. He was dry in an instant. The turtle did not appear offended at his blatant disregard of her person; instead, she continued her monologue as if he was intently listening to her words.

"I must say I am disappointed in you, Sesshomaru. You placed yourself in a unique situation indeed, sharing your soul with a Tsowandar, and yet you ignore both how she feels and what you know of her nature and push her into a hasty retreat. I could not believe my old ears in that alley! Did you really use force to kiss her?"

A subtle frown on his expressionless face was the only sign that her words disturbed him at all. The turtle had been brought to the castle by his Father after his wedding to serve as one of his teachers back when he was just a kid. Apparently, she was highly respected in his Father's family and assisted many a generation of dog demons to find their place in the world. Her link with the Great General of the Dogs was running deep, but already all those centuries ago she was showing signs of senility. The court still gave her respect and deference and his Father himself took utmost care to preserve the fragile mental health of the aging youkai by forbidding anyone to mention or acknowledge any of her frequent absences in her company. As he grew from childhood to teen age, he would still have to endure lessons with her, history lessons mostly, and he remembered how he enjoyed the legends and battles she described to him. But the more he traveled toward adulthood, the worse it became. She would simply sit there, unresponsive to the world around her, for days before awakening and going about her duties as if nothing happened. When he finally left the palace, the turtle had been given the title of Seer as a mark of respect. How low his Mother had fallen if the death of his Father allowed her to forget his principles and let the court laugh in derision of the old turtle. She was a troublesome old thing, but his Father thought she was deserving of respect, and he couldn't fault his reasoning even if he could see how diseased and confused her old spirit was.

Yet, at that moment her words made him pause, for it wasn't the regular insane blabber of an old senile lady; she spoke with clarity and a strength that she rarely presented even in his younger days. Furthermore, with the exception of all the insults, some of what she said intrigued him. He nonchalantly tied his haori, which was quite a feat considering his lack of an arm, and in an elegant upward motion of his left eyebrow, encouraged her to continue. He would play into her fantasies for a while, satisfy his curiosity and then get rid of her when sleep would come to her.

The small figure of the seated turtle did not even change her position to look at him; she knew her pupil was listening and needed nothing but her presence to assure that he would keep listening. She sighed as if what she wanted to tell him weighted heavily on her.

"I was very surprised when I heard the rumors that a Tsowandar had set foot in the castle. I don't know how I did it with those old crows following me everywhere I go but I managed to saw her, and my surprise was surpassed hundredfold when I understood that you, a male, shared the soul link with her. You have to tell me how in the heavens and hells a Tsowandar accepted your energy without killing you! As far as I know, it is unheard of."

Sesshomaru looked at his armor and discarded it, not truly needing it in this overprotected stronghold. He tied the last knot on his obi, expertly manipulating the sash with his only hand in gestures practiced hundred of times, and bent down to retrieve his discarded swords, adjusting them at his waist. He was now standing right beside the elderly lady and he had yet to place a word.

"You didn't know? Well, that may explain why you acted as a ruffian, disregarding her hesitancy to engage any further in a relationship with you. Tsowandars have no affinity for males; your Kitana is one of a kind! But she is certainly very confused. The soul link will indeed strengthen any feelings that already exist between the two of you, but you need to give her time to accept it. Being a soul partner to a Tsowandar is a life changing experience, but it won't happen if you don't treasure her and allow her –"

"All this is utter nonsense."

Being so rudely interrupted by her pupil who was impudently leaving the garden was not something she expected and as her mouth still opened and closed on unspoken words, the old turtle cracked an eye open and tilted her head to the side toward the taiyoukai. Then, she craned her neck toward him in an unnatural way, the many wrinkles on her flesh unfolding one after the other to allow her head to reach a height that should not have been physically possible. The desired effect was obtained though, and the departing taiyoukai paused in his steps and turned toward the gross looking turtle whose head now reached his waist.

"Oh? How so?"

He considered not answering and going back inside, abandoning her on the side of the pool, but some of the respect he had for her when he was a young boy flickered inside him and he granted her an answer.

"Kitana is no Tsowandar, whatever they may be. You would do well to remember that and stop assuming you know her; whatever you think she is, you are wrong. Beside, she is nothing but a traitor and her name is not to be mentioned in This Sesshomaru's presence anymore."

Now with both foggy eyes open, the turtle turned her head upside down and peered into Sesshomaru's eyes, as if she was trying to get a closer look into his soul. Even though the taiyoukai was not one to be impressed by the antics of a youkai, the sight was disturbing enough to make him pause.

"Wrong?"

Sorely the elder retracted her head and started to rise on her feet, helping herself with her cane. When she was finally standing, barely reaching the thighs of the taiyoukai, she advanced toward him and finally rested her weight on her stick before smirking at him. Her voice gained a strength she had never showed before.

"Wrooooong, eh? Let us see if I am wrong. Your Kitana crawls on walls and ceilings just as a fly would do, and sees in total darkness better than even you. Her blood is a highly corrosive matter able to eat through rocks as well as flesh, and she has inner jaws that she can project at great speed to kill her enemies. She can manipulate the energies around her, she is able to call the elements to her help, she comes from a place beyond the stars and she feeds upon sentient-"

"Enough!"

He was white with rage and confusion; the turtle was not as senile as everyone thought.

"-she feeds upon sentient beings' blood and flesh. And last but not least she fed from you, drinking your blood from your veins and yet she let you live to tell the tale, thus bonding your souls."

"Enough. You have said enough!" he said harshly, in a forbidding tone.

Wisely, the old youkai stopped talking but kept her gaze trained on the taiyoukai, waiting for his reaction. He was rigid and stern, as usual, but he couldn't hide the curiosity that was sparked when she displayed her knowledge of the curious being that invaded his life. Even Kitana's most shameful secret, the way she sustained herself, was known to the turtle. He was confused though; if he believed Kitana's story about her origins, she was unique, one of a kind, and never had any contacts with youkai other than his Father in the past. There was no way she could have met with the turtle, and how all of this fitted together he couldn't fathom.

It was with a softer voice that the turtle said the next words.

"You know little of her if you think she could betray you. Tsowandar are merciless predators, but they are highly faithful to their families and friends, even more so to the ones they share soul with. Young lord, you feel what she feels, how can you say that she could be a traitor? She could not betray you more than she could rip off her own heart."

He eyed her dispassionately, but doubts were swirling around wildly in his heart, deepening wounds that had yet to start heeling. With a severe look upon his face and an aggressive frown, he addressed his once teacher in a low and threatening tone.

"Hn. And what allows you to assume you know her so well?"

The turtle smiled sadly, taking her time to word her answer in a way that could soothe the wounded youkai standing menacingly in front of her.

"There was a time long ago, oh I was still young and beautiful, when a Tsowandar chose me to be her soul companion. I learned a lot back then about their abilities and weaknesses and this experience really transformed the one I was."

He looked at the turtle and for a fleeting moment, surprise was written upon his face. This contradicted everything Kitana had told him so far about her past, and arose too many questions to count.

"You will go through a lot of trials because of that bond, but she will be by your side, no matter how difficult it appears to be right now. She chose you after all. Put your trust in her and you will see that she is capable of incredible achievements if she feels your support."

She backed a little from him.

"I must go now, but I will come back. I wish to speak with your Tsowandar; there are important things she needs to know, and I have some questions I wish she can answer. Tell her that, and follow your heart, young lord. A chosen one will never be betrayed by a Tsowandar."

As she turned around to leave, a whisper reached her ears. She paused and went back on her steps.

"What did you say?"

Sesshomaru looked down at her and gazed in her hazy eyes, before repeating his words in a more steady voice.

"She did not choose me. I forced her to take my blood, for she would have died had she not. I had no idea of the consequences of the act at that time."

The old youkai paled under the words of the taiyoukai, and for a moment she appeared to him just as she did to everyone else: an old, senile turtle lady who was approaching her death. Then, she shook her head and with a movement of the hand, brushed aside his declaration.

"It doesn't matter. Had she not accepted you fully, she would have killed you. Oh, and do not give me that look, young one, you may be powerful but that would not have stopped her. Like it or not, somehow she chose you, and you will have to deal with it."

As he was about to voice how her opinion did not matter to him, she, she was already gone. It appeared as if the earth itself had swallowed her, as she silently melted into it to become one with it. Shaking his head, he remembered that the old one was in fact an earth spirit. No wonder she managed to violate the privacy of his garden without his notice.

**SSSSS**

Alone in his father's office, Sesshomaru was mulling over the events of the evening. Midnight was approaching and the sounds of the feast were now totally gone, replaced by the whispers of the night.

He came back shaken from the encounter with the turtle, his armor tucked under his arm and his wet fur pelt trailing behind him. He had no certitudes anymore, the strong pillars that constituted everything in believed in, everything he knew to be true were crumbling as if made of sand. He was about to climb the stairs to his bedroom and try to sleep the rest of the night when he saw the centuries old jug of sake imbued with youki that he served to the bear earlier. Pausing, he let go of his armor and took the bottle and the cup that came with it, before climbing the stairs. Ordinary alcohol did nothing to him, as poison users were immune to most toxins, but he knew how strong this one was thanks to the reputation of the youkai that made it. Even if he felt tired, he knew he would not be able to sleep with so many disturbing thoughts swirling around his head, so maybe a little help was needed.

Moments later, he was sitting amidst the plush cushions in front of the large hearth where the fire he started was beginning to eat happily at the logs he threw in. His swords were carefully placed beside him near his right hand, for it would not do to fall asleep upon the cutting edge of Tokijin if he ever got drunk, yet he wanted them close enough to defend himself in the unlikely event of an attack.

He was not yet done drinking his first cup of sake when the effects started to appear. A feeling of joy filled him, erasing his concerns as if they were for nothing. He closed his eyes under the delight of the sensation and took another sip of alcohol, larger this time. No wonder why so many humans and the weaker youkai tried to drown their worries in sake if it worked so well.

Slowly relaxing as the beverage travelled down his throat to his stomach, he took the decision to let things come to him, as he always did in the past. Rushing things were not his forte; instead he was more inclined to take life as it unfolded before him, walking on his path at a leisurely pace even if he could fly as fast as a lightning. He would get there in the end, wherever it was, and running only put things in movement that were not supposed to happen. Waiting to see where life was taking him had always been his philosophy, and hasty decisions were never good ones in his experience. Life would tell him in time if Kitana was a friend or a foe; he now had no doubt about it. For the first time in days he started to feel good and it pleased him. It pleased him very much, and soon he was in an almost euphoric state, sitting alone on these luxurious cushions and looking at the dance of the flames in the fireplace and the game of hide and seeks the light played with the shadows on the walls and furniture.

Closing his eyes again before filling a second cup of sake, he opened them up suddenly. Euphoria? Since when was this feeling in his repertoire? He had never once in his life felt that good.

Doubt wormed its way in his consciousness and was confirmed when an unwelcomed wave of lust washed over him. The feelings did not have the overwhelming strength they had in his first days of sharing his soul with Kitana, but they were clearly sent to him by the girl. All day long he had wanted the link between them to work to no avail; only the close proximity of the courtyard provided him with the proof that they were still connected to each other. Now, if he was able to perceive her at a much larger distance, it meant only one thing: those feelings of bliss and desire were very strong.

His anger came back suddenly, fighting and then winning against his decision to wait peacefully for the outcome of events. This was the confirmation of her betrayal more than anything else: she was sharing an intimate and very pleasant moment with someone else, someone other than him, most probably the marten or even the sly fox. Or both. She had betrayed him, betrayed his thrust in her for no reason he was able to fathom, and yet he still had to feel whatever emotion she deemed appropriate to send his way through a link he no longer was able to bear.

Or maybe that was her version of torture? Instead of literally ripping him open and tearing off his male organs to shove them deep into his mouth, like he knew was her favorite way of telling a male to stuff it, she would do it metaphorically?

He knew she was wise enough not to measure up to him physically once again, so it was only logical to conclude that she had decided to sever their relationship in this most terrible way. There he was, the demon lord Sesshomaru, a terrible taiyoukai feared by even the most powerful of demons, pacing back and forth in his chambers because of a female too weak to confront him and yet strong enough to send him in a turmoil he never anticipated.

Enraged by a renewed wave of bliss, he sent his fist hard into the wall of his father's office, punching a hole the size of a plate in the sturdy marble. Had he infused this punch with his swirling demonic energy, there would be no wall left standing.

The smell of his blood reached his nose, causing him to pause in his growing restlessness. On his middle knuckle was a small scratch, deep enough to draw blood but already almost healed. Stirred back to reality by this insignificant wound, he decided he would no longer be the victim of his once ally; instead, he sat back on the cushions, cross-legged this time. This link was a poison to him tonight, but he knew from experience that it worked both ways and he decided to poison the night of the aggravating female who was trying to make him mad.

Doing his best to empty his mind of everything but his unrestrained anger, he thought about the most repulsive beings he could imagine; anything that brought him on the verge of vomiting, everything that could make a male organ loose its pride and glory for good. As images of Jaken fooling around with Ah-Un filled his mind, he clearly felt a decrease in his arousal. Smirking, he tried to imagine the couple somewhere in his mother's castle, the disgust on Kitana's face and the puzzlement of her lover, whoever it was, and it pleased him. Closing his eyes again, he took a last sip of sake and continued to concentrate on the filthiest and most revolting situations that made his stomach churn. Sounds of war came to his ears, battle cries of samurais and common soldiers mixed with the screams of orphans and assaulted women. His skin crawled under the nauseating touch of a decomposed body, a body kept moving by the invasion of crow youkai, the flesh sloughing and letting fluids seep through cracks and crevices as it stuck to his own skin. His eyes witnessed a hundred deaths, a thousand humiliations, tens of thousands of people burned and raped and abused in any imaginable ways. His nose filled with the olfactory memories of those terrible battlefields, of innumerable corpses left to rot under the sunlight, of young inexperienced soldiers wetting themselves as the horses of the enemy charged them, of their sweat filled with the acrid smell of fear. He called forth to his memory the most horrible moments of his life, but this time he let the feelings come along instead of suppressing them. Disgust, revulsion, horror were sent to Kitana in the hope to retaliate against her desertion.

A few moments later, as he was still sitting immobile amongst the cushions, a real smell came to him; a very subtle, spicy smell that descended from the rafters above him.

"Leave at once, you whore. You are not welcome here anymore."

The scent continued its approach, always coming from the roof. Soon, he caught a glimpse of a black, arachnoid body attached to the rafters by its hands and feet, crested head fixed upon him.

"You can cut the crap, Sesshomaru. We are alone."

Anger filled golden eyes that begun to deepen to a dark orange, leaning toward the red that announced nothing but destruction.

"You heard This Sesshomaru: I won't repeat myself."

A black tail switched nervously once, then twice; a black mouth opened, then closed pensively before opening again.

"Don't tell me you fell for it? It was all an act, Sesshomaru! Didn't the bear tell you?"

Gold and black clashed with deep orange, none of them backing down.

"Medved told me of your treason. The rest I figured out by myself. It was not a difficult task; your behavior with the weasel was scandalous. Now go back to your whore - "

A loud slapping noise resonated as he was hit across the cheek by the back of the hand of the female he loathed so much. She had jumped down from the rafters in a swift movement as indignation filled her up. Not expecting this kind of lowly attack on his person, Sesshomaru opened his reddening eyes to come face to face with the contorted features of a Tsowandar; a mighty angry Tsowandar.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare call me names like that when all I did was for you!"

Stiffening a growl behind his clenched jaws, he used his demonic speed to raise to his feet so fast that Kitana never had the time to react; in less than the blink of an eye, she found herself slammed against a wall, her eyes mere inches away from his snarling face, held off the ground by a strong hand encircling her neck.

"Do you wish to die, traitor? Is it the way you want to go?"

Her hands gripped his wrist strongly, claws embedding themselves in his flesh, but she did not do anything more. Disbelief was written all over her face; she was clearly surprised by the way things had degenerated.

"Sesshomaru… You really fell for it… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry; with the way you acted tonight I was so sure that you were trying to help me make them believe my betrayal… But it was not an act…"

Suddenly her eyes widened.

"Oh my… If it was true… Then in that alley…"

His eyes lost their crimson edge when he realized she was speaking about the kiss he forced on her. Just as he involuntarily loosened the pressure on her neck, blood dripping along his forearm, she fought back. He was hit by a strong blow of her knee in the lower abdomen, emptying his lungs from their air and making him loose his grip on her neck. She followed this move by pushing him away with both feet, thus making him stumble backward. In an instant she was free, hanging upside down on the rafter that supported the ceiling.

"Come to my room, Sesshomaru; it's of the utmost importance. Whatever you think of me, there are things you need to learn. Afterward you'll decide what you want to do, but for now, come to me. And do it fast; I won't be able to wait for long. "

And she was gone, leaving him alone with his confusion and pain for only companions.

She wanted him to join her into her room.

Join them, for she smelled a little of the marten, of shared intimacy and mutual feminine pleasure. She was angry with him for a reason, angry and sad. Her surprise at his attitude appeared to be genuine though, so he wondered once again: had he been a fool to believe in her betrayal? What reason could she have to come and get him? She asked him to join her in her room, but for what purpose? As far as he could tell, she was not alone in this room of hers, and just moments ago she was engaged in erotic activities with a partner of the fair sex. She never smelled like the ones around her, not even Rin could let her scent on Kitana, so what was the meaning of the marten's stench on her? What could she want from him? Did she think he was a fool that could be made to obey her whims?

Fist clenched hard enough to draw blood from his palm, Sesshomaru finally took his decision. He would go and see what she wanted from him, and probably end her days right then and there if her deceit was confirmed. He would live with the consequences of his act, but for now hatred was winning over love.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Cha****pter 31**

When Sesshomaru suddenly appeared at the entrance of Kitana's room, the guards were caught by surprise. The four of them who were supposed to keep watch under the windows had joined the two guards who watched the entrance to eavesdrop on what was happening inside the room. As he recalled his youki inside of himself to slow his pace and come to a stop, the six soldiers pathetically stumbled on their feet, almost fell down the stairs to finally end up kneeling before him in submission.

"Pardon us, my Lord! We abandoned our posts and shall be punished for that!"

The soldiers were shaking in front of the taiyoukai and the stench of their fear permeating the air almost covered their previous arousal. He did not even acknowledge their pitiful presence, his gaze fixed upon the entrance to the small bedroom. The guards moved out of his way as he advanced toward the door; all but one of them.

"My Lord… If I may… Maybe you should wait before going in there… They are… I mean… Interesting things are happening in there, if you know what I mean!"

The guard made a suggestive motion with his brows, a motion that sparked a timid laughter in two of the other guards. The others tried to back away unnoticed, and one even elbowed the one who talked; they were obviously the oldest of the group, the only ones already in the service of his mother before he left the castle. They had not only heard of the taiyoukai's reputation of ruthlessness, they had witnessed first hand how he received it.

"Step aside. Now."

The stoic behavior of the young lord sent shivers through the bold soldier's spine, and he respectfully bowed again and let him pass.

As he was about to open the door, Sesshomaru added a few words for the benefit of the guards.

"Leave this place; take the night off."

They exchanged glances, not really knowing if they could really disregard their Lady's orders to obey her son, until one of them made a subtle movement toward the back of the dog demon, accompanied by a grin and a wiggle of his brows that clearly displayed what he thought the taiyoukai might be up to. Before anyone could react to his buffoonery, the said guard was already turning blue in the face from the pressure of Sesshomaru's hand on his throat.

"I said leave; now!"

And he threw the guard right amongst his comrades, making most of them fall head over heels. Clumsily, they all got back on their feet and scurried away from this wing of the palace, suddenly deciding their lives was in greater danger if they stayed there than if they disobeyed the Lady.

Looking at the deserted entrance of the small guest house that had once been his own quarters, he opened it widely and stepped inside.

"Lucky I told you to hurry; I can't imagine how much trouble it would have meant for me had you taken your time!"

He slowly turned his head toward the source of the recrimination, his fur pelt snapping the door panel close forcefully. He was not in the mood to be spoken to in that way, especially not by Kitana, but as his gaze fell on the one he once called a companion, his anger slowly gave way to stupefaction.

"What is the meaning of this?"

He approached the bed cautiously, as if something in there could jump at him and bite him. He did not know what to anticipate from the two females, and had been readying himself to slay the pitiful marten for her pathetic behavior of seducing what was his, but was not prepared for what was in front of him. This was not the idea he had of consensual sex between two female partners; he was sure it did not involve one of them being passed out on a futon with the other straddling her and holding her wrists and legs in a death grip, with both hands and tail.

Kitana looked at him for a while in silence, before she sighed and shook her head, eyes closed.

"You may come closer, she is not going to attack you; and neither will I. I put her to sleep before I left to get you, but she will come to her senses soon and she won't like what she'll see. I prefer to be prepared."

His eyes still trained on the nude black-haired girl covered by a flimsy and translucent white silk sheet, he answered automatically.

"Be prepared for what? I won't play into your games, wench."

"Games? What games? Oh Sesshomaru… How misled are you…"

Confusion and sadness seeped from Kitana but both of them had to swallow their interrogations and doubts, for the small spy was now awakening. Fast.

"We will talk later, Sesshomaru. For now on, please listen to what she will say and you will understand everything."

"What… Kitana… Why am I…"

As the girl's blurry vision came back to normal, she took in the sight of the taiyoukai, standing right beside her, and she realized that she was held down on the mattress by the very person who was making love to her only moments ago. She started to struggle, fighting against Kitana's hold, to no avail. The black-skinned creature was far stronger than her, in a position of control, and with the advantages of having a tail and clothes on she rendered her unable to move, let alone bite or claw. Sai soon calmed down and resorted to pleading and begging, while trying her best to understand what was going on.

"Kitana, what is he doing here? Why are you doing this to me? Aren't we… Weren't we having fun? Why was I sleeping? My head is spinning…"

"Pertinent questions."

He received a heated, golden and black glare in answer.

"Not now, Sesshomaru. As of you, Sai, learn that Sesshomaru-sama is here with us to hear what you have to say."

"What I have to say? I have nothing to say to him! Kitana, are you telling me you are letting me down… for him? You are betraying me for this male? You despise him! You can't do that to me!"

Kitana took a deep breath, feeling the judging eyes of the two of them cast upon her. Her voice was heavy and deep when she spoke.

"Sai, what I think of him or you is not the point. The point is that you have information Sesshomaru-sama needs, and either you tell him of your own free will, or I make you tell. And this time, no omission of any kind; I know when you are lying. Spill the beans."

"Free will? What free will? You have set me up, that is what you have done! I thought… I thought there was something between us! We were having a hell of a good time, and here you are, threatening me and forcing me to talk about stuff I shouldn't even have told you! What am I to you, only a good fuck, a pleasant distraction while you schemed your great plan? Didn't you like it when I sucked on your – "

"Enough!"

In the blink of an eye, Kitana had changed her hold on the marten's wrists to encase both of them in her left hand, using her right one to strangle the little woman. Anger was evident in their faces, doubled with humiliation and shame in the black haired girl's features. However, when Kitana's snarl let a second set of jaws flash briefly and the cold whisper of her voice reached her ears, fear was the only emotion left inside the small youkai female.

"It doesn't matter whether I liked it or not. I am here on behalf of Sesshomaru, on a mission to gather information you happen to detain. Maybe I should recycle as a spy, what do you think? You swallowed the bait, with the hook and sinker!"

A disdainful chuckle from the taiyoukai made her turn around and glare at him, her voice getting back to a stronger, bitter tone.

"And you as well, you fool! I can't believe you really thought I had turned on you! After all we went through don't you know me better than that?"

Sesshomaru wouldn't accept to be spoken of in such a way, ever. Especially in front of an enemy, by someone who was maybe, after all, still his ally. But was she? He was starting to understand, to see the dangerous game she had been playing to gain the favors of the young spy, and he almost felt ashamed of himself not to have seen through her plans. Especially with the way they shared emotions, he should have been aware of her intentions; but he was too focused on his own predicament to really be opened to his companion, and he was paying the price. Humiliation was a small price to pay, after all; and the marten wouldn't live to tell the tale, he would make sure of that. He almost recoiled, his eyes reduced to slits glaring back at his partner, but his very nature wouldn't let him submit without fighting back.

"You were terrified of This Sesshomaru, when I asked you to dance. Then you lashed at me in the alley. What did you want me to understand, if not that you were letting me down?"

Once again, Kitana breathed deeply, calming her anger before answering him. Sadness was laced in her words, which were almost a whisper.

"I needed them to believe firmly that I was not on your side anymore, Sesshomaru. When you joined us in the courtyard instead of staying put on your rooftop, I was afraid that they would discover everything much too soon. And the fox followed us in the alley; he was listening to everything that was being said. Does it answer your question? Can we talk about all this mess later on, and concentrate on the task at hand?"

Kitana was looking at Sesshomaru, both of them immobile in a staring contest. A minute movement of his head was her signal to continue. She reported her attention on her captive, transferring the weight of her glare upon her. Her hold on the marten was firmer than ever, as the girl was clearly waiting for an opportunity to free herself. After a moment, she seemed to recoil, envisioning the options available to her; and then she spoke.

"If I tell him, my Lady will kill me."

Kitana cocked her head to the side.

"And if you don't, I will kill you and tell him anyway."

Sai paled when she saw the seriousness of her lover.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me. You are not the only one here hungry for blood."

"You… You don't know the whole story."

"Oh but I know much more than you think, maybe even more than you; I know all what you said to your Lady, why she was interested in your discovery, and what she did with it. It's up to you to fill in the blanks, or die."

Her toothed grin appeared to convince the young marten, but her next words did the trick.

"And between you and me, your master doesn't even need to know you told us. You wish to leave this place, don't you? It could be done, if you help us that is. Your Lady would be none the wiser…"

The confused and despaired girl took her time to evaluate the possibilities that were opening up before her. She made a head gesture toward Sesshomaru.

"And what about him? The guards surely know he is here with us. If his mother learns that we are acting in collusion with him, everything will fall apart. Bringing him here was a badly planned move."

"On the contrary. He will be leaving soon anyway, the faster you speak the faster he goes. The guards will simply confirm that we wanted nothing to do with him…"

"Do not pretend to know what This Sesshomaru will, or will not do."

Kitana sighed, eyes closed. Her whole body was tensed, as she was trying her best not to be baited by Sesshomaru. His resentment toward her was well matched by her own, but everything she had taken hours to plan and prepare for him would crumble if he didn't manage to keep his temper in check.

"Don't start. You haven't even heard what she has to say yet. Please reserve your judgment."

"I refuse to protect someone who hides information from me; nor someone who tries to steal away from me. Only death awaits her."

"Steal from you? I'm not a thief, I've stolen nothing!"

Realizing what emotion was putting her friend in turmoil, Kitana chuckled bitterly, and then shook her head before bending down on the bed, grazing Sai's cheeks and ear with her lips.

"Oh, but you did, little girl, you did; you tried to steal me away with your charms, and I daresay you could have succeeded in another day and age. And you, Sesshomaru… Jealousy doesn't befit you, but I am flattered, really…"

His brows shut up into his bangs, eyes opened up, before a deep frown marred his face.

"Shhh… We will talk later. For now, let's hear what my little lover here has to say. Bear with me, it is of the highest interest; isn't it, Sai?"

With a sigh, tension left the body of the marten. She would speak.

"Yes. Yes it is. And if I can simply walk away from that whole mess without loosing my life, let alone fleeing from this damn place, I will tell you what I know."

Kitana nodded her approval.

"I will do what I can to prevent you from dying and help you escape, but you put yourself in this predicament, Sai. And you will have to get out of it by yourself. The first step is cooperating with us."

"Of course…" she murmured. "Can I at least dress up before I tell what I know?"

A smirk appeared on Kitana's face, before she shook her head.

"Sorry Sai, but I prefer you that way very much."

"You are a bitch, you know that?"

"Well, I'll take it as a compliment; bitches are pugnacious beings, aren't they? Come on, speak, and I'll let you go."

Reluctantly, the small marten gave up. She turned her head sideways and looked toward the taiyoukai, but she kept her gaze low, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Well, it started about a year ago. I've been working here for about a century now, as… well, I have no real official title. My Lady uses me as she pleases, sometimes to torture or make prisoners speak, sometimes to spy and get some leverage on a noble or another. Once, she put me in charge of watching on the servants and maids; one of them was stealing valuable artefacts from her, and she wanted his or her head brought to her. Knowledge of the secret passageways that cover the entire compound was given to me, and from then on I spent my days in darkness, trying to find whoever was thieving from her."

Sesshomaru was beginning to be plain bored with the action, or rather absence of action in front of him. A light snap on his ankle from the tip of a black bony tail brought him back to reality, and a frown on Kitana's face told him his boredom had been discovered. Sai did not witness the interaction.

"One day, as I was watching over a maid I suspected to be the culprit, I saw her open up a hidden cache behind a painting in the previous Lord study; you know, that big impressive painting of the General in a fighting stance? Well, there was a bamboo case hidden behind it. A small wooden cylinder, engraved in an amateurish way with the name of our previous Great General. It was as old as dirt, so I took it upon myself to follow the maid until she brought it into her room, and hid it below her pillow.

I knew I should have brought the case to my Lady as soon as I laid my hands upon it, but curiosity got the better of me and I opened it. Of course, there was a scroll rolled inside it, inscribed in the same as the name on the case, with uncertain and hesitant kanji. If it was the previous Master who wrote it, he sure was pretty young when it happened."

"Come to the point."

Sesshomaru's interest had awakened a little bit, and he wasn't the type to wait for lengthy, embellished recalling of one's memory. He would not have it his way, though, as Kitana intervened.

"Please Sai, go on. Take your time."

Uncertain of which one of them she should obey, the marten finally nodded to her captor and continued her story.

"It was some sort of journal, written in the first person, and it spoke about events from the youth of the General. The main subject of the scroll was in fact you, Kitana."

Sesshomaru felt a cold expectation fill him, an anticipation of things he wanted to hear but was afraid to learn.

"It described the discovery of a star falling in the ocean, from which the General extracted a very strange-looking girl.

At first I must say I was convinced it was pure fantasy on his part. You know, my Lord, how your father left his home at a young age to gather power on his own, to prove his worth? Well, it apparently was written during this time, and I didn't know how much of what he wrote was hallucinations or fantasies created by a tired mind.

It was pretty clear though, in the way that he described it, going as far as drawing poor attempts of portraits, that he was falling head over heels for this creature he rescued; or thought he rescued; or dreamed about. Whatever; you know what I mean.

I was slowly getting bored of the story, as it unfolded upon many months and nothing worth my time was happening, the girl never speaking or doing anything, when he spoke of a vision he had. I did not really understand what he meant, but the way he worded it, this vision was apparently given to him by the girl. She wouldn't talk to him, but somehow she showed him something…"

"Continue. We understand."

Kitana's head swirled around, surprised to see a spark of interest in Sesshomaru, but his face was as bland as ever.

Sai nodded, and then addressed Kitana.

"Could you let go of me now? I will not go anywhere. I feel naked and exposed here, held that way."

"It's because you are, dear little lover. Hasten your story, for you will be free only after you are done."

Sai flashed a fang at her captor, but quickly replaced it with a grin of pain when the tail that held her legs tightened around her.

"Okay okay, I'll be fast. Well…"

"The vision" reminded Kitana.

"Yes, the vision. Okay.

The only thing I can say is that this vision frightened him to the core. He wrote about it many months after it happened, for he was not able to write it down earlier. And when he started, he couldn't finish and what he wrote down was nothing but gibberish. Then he stopped writing in his journal, before adding some final notes many years later."

Sai's silence was cut after a moment by the taiyoukai himself, eager to finally understand what pushed his Father away from Kitana so long ago.

"Did he describe the vision in any way?"

She shook her head.

"He said that he witnessed the power of the one he rescued, and that this power should not be allowed to exist. He was so terrified of it, and never once described in more details what he saw exactly. The last entry in the journal is so long after, and he only spoke of the cave with the cocoon in which he suspected she was sleeping. He wrote down in a handful of words how he understood that the cocoon could heal good hearted youkai and humans and kill the others, and then the scroll ended up when he brought his first son to the cave to show the cocoon to him. And that's it."

Sesshomaru's gaze was starting to bear holes in Kitana; he wanted to know, desperately wanted to know what this vision was about. But it wasn't what she wanted him to hear.

"Tell us what you did afterwards. With the scroll."

Sai nodded again.

"I brought it to my Lady, and she read it as well. Then, she made me head a group of… investigators and had me search for the cocoon room. I think she wanted confirmation.

It was not an easy feat, as the General never mentioned the precise location of the cave. But finally, after questioning many youkai living in secluded, mountainous areas all over the country, the rumor of a killing cave reached my ears.

The cave was there, indeed, with the cocoon in its depths, and it was guarded by human monks of some sort. They did not refuse access to us, surprisingly. I ordered my two assistants to get the cocoon out of the cave and I saw them both die right before my eyes, in a gruesome way.

Once the cave was found and the destructive power of the cocoon confirmed, my Lady became restless. It was only days later that she gave me another mission: to find a demon named Naraku and give him the entire scroll."

Pressure fell off of Kitana's shoulders when Sesshomaru returned his attention to the little spy.

"For weeks I looked for him, sending spies to every wood, every desert, every tiny island I could think of, without success; I never found him. In the end, he was the one who found me.

One day, a wind youkai came to me, saying she was an incarnation of Naraku sent to question me about my purpose; after all only his enemies were trying so hard to find him, and he was suspicious of me. He didn't bother going after me by himself for I was too weak, so he sent her; or so that's what she said. I wanted a proof she was really with Naraku, but she only laughed. My only options were to believe her, or not. So I talked to her about the scroll, only saying that it could make her master more powerful than he ever dreamed of, and told her that if she wanted it, she would have to give me proof of her allegiance to him. She laughed at me and sent an attack of wind blades to me, before apparently changing her mind and telling me how to contact her in case I finally decided to give her the scroll.

I went back to your mother and told her what happened. She said she had heard of this wind witch, and asked me to give her the scroll when I saw her again. So I did, for the witch never accepted to give me any proof of her collusion with Naraku. End of the story."

Kitana looked down on the petite form of the spy, held securely between her thighs. The young one had said what she thought was the truth, and she was afraid for her life. All aspects considered, it was good, and she wouldn't talk unless she was forced to. She nodded, before rising and gathering the clothes of the small woman, which she handed to her.

"Before you leave, we have to decide what course of action to take. And there is something I overheard that you should know, Sai, for it is the key to your survival."

"There is no "we"; This Sesshomaru has heard enough. My Mother wanted Naraku to get his hands on you, for what purpose I can only wonder. The rest I can figure out myself."

As he turned on his heels, his face the purest expression of disinterest one could express, he found himself retained by a wall of solid air. Knowing full well whose fault it was, and not at all in the mood to tolerate her antics, he flared his youki, hoping to intimidate the black skinned woman.

To no avail.

"Thanks for changing your mind and staying with us for a moment, Sesshomaru. I appreciate."

Her eyes lost their golden sheen when she felt his struggle cease and his youki recede. She gulped as the anger and disappointment she felt from him only grew, but there was no going back; he had to hear it all, no matter the consequences for her.

"The problem is that you mother has not abandoned her plan; she still intends to deliver good old me to your enemy. And she wants it to be done tomorrow, during the meeting with the generals."

Hearing her words, he turned around to face her, trying to reign in his anger.

"What did you say? How can you know that? She cannot want that, she allowed me to keep you! She knows I like you… How could she..."

Still silent, Sesshomaru witnessed the tender gesture of Kitana who sat on the bed beside the shaken marten, taking her hand between hers.

"She lied to you, Sai. I was present when she ordered the fox to flee the castle tomorrow, with me and you. Her plan was having him, her most trusted general but also your lover, convince you that you would all be free of her control by fleeing. Then, after the fake escape, Yoko was supposed to woo you into explaining to him how to contact the wind witch, then get rid of you and present me to Naraku in the name of your Lady. She wanted to use your… interest in me against us."

The black mask around the marten's eyes appeared darker than usual when the rest of her face paled to an unhealthy whitish tone, her eyes empty.

"Yoko… He approached me at the feast, saying he needed to talk to both of us in private. I brushed him off; I did not want to witness his flirting attempts on you, but he said it was to talk about something very important."

She appeared to regain a part of her composure and turned around, gripping Kitana's hands forcefully.

"I won't let them do that to you! Believe me, it won't happen!"

Kitana smiled wickedly at the young spy.

"On the contrary, Sai: you will do whatever they want you to do. Or rather, it would be even better if the two of us could leave this place by ourselves, minus the fox, but with his approval. Win their trust someway, go meet Yoko and prepare something. But we have to leave together, right after the meeting."

"Hn."

Both girls turned around and looked at the taiyoukai, who had been immobile during the whole exchange.

"This is all unnecessary."

"And would you kindly explain to us dimwits how this would be unnecessary, oh my Lord?" retaliated Kitana, hands on her hips in a personification of righteous indignation.

"Tomorrow This Sesshomaru will learn of the whereabouts of the hanyou Naraku. This comedy of yours has no purpose."

"Oh, so it is unnecessary. I see. Well, did it occur to you that your holy Mother would not let you approach Naraku if she needed time to give me to him? She will send you on a goose hunt, chasing after your tail in some remote marsh or forest, while she makes sure that your enemy gets more powerful. Did you ever asked yourself to what lengths she will go to be sure that her own son will grow stronger? Grow stronger, or be killed by an enemy whose power has been boosted by your own mother."

Sesshomaru was boiling of rage. His placid mask firmly in place, his control on his outraged youki tightened to the extremes, he listened to words he could have said himself.

"On the other hand, we have Sai here, Sai who knows how to contact Naraku. If we play our cards well, everything will fall into place but in your advantage."

"Hn. Nonsense; there are no cards to play. Tomorrow if what I hear at the meeting displeases me, the weasel will have to bring me to Naraku. This discussion is closed."

Kitana was overflowing with sadness. Never before had she seen this side of Sesshomaru so clearly and only now could she understand the impression of a cold-hearted killer he left on Kagome and her friends. She knew he was hard-headed, and that he always did as he pleased, but he was now reaching summits she never thought he could attain.

However, contrarily to others, she had a wide-opened access to the inner workings of his mind. His motivations were growing clearer to her by the moment; his anger was fuelled not only by what happened between them in the last hours, but also by the continuous and treacherous attempts of his mother at strengthening him. She could feel how he fired himself up when the conspiracy against him was brought to light, and this was what she needed to use to direct him where he needed to go; to help him accomplish what needed to be done.

"Sesshomaru: the staged escape is supposed to take place during the meeting, when your mother is occupied. Sai won't be in the castle anymore if you decide to kidnap her afterward. If you want to take her away, do it right now or follow the plan."

His jaw set and his fist clenched, Sesshomaru unwillingly considered his options. This was one of the reasons why he never set foot in his mother's domain after he left, years ago. In this place, his actions were predetermined, his choices calculated by others, his options limited. He longed for the freedom of the wilderness, the feeling of his blood pumping in his veins not from anger but from the thrill of a good battle, for the pain of well-placed blow to his guts instead of his pride. However, beyond his bestial nature and the wrath that was threatening to consume him, he was still one of the best strategists and he could see the value of Kitana's plan. What had transpired between them, what his mother was trying to push him to do, all that needed to be firmly pushed back from his mind so he could focus on the reason of his presence in the cursed castle of his mother: gaining knowledge of Naraku's whereabouts. Now, thanks to his ally, he could see the moment of the final battle with the spider hanyou getting closer than ever.

With a minute nod of the head, he signalled to Kitana he accepted her conclusions.

"Meet me in my chambers when you are done preparing your actions with the marten."

"Does… Does this mean you accept this plan, Sesshomaru?"

Kitana's tone of voice was cautious, but curious at the same time. Was it her words that caused his change of heart? She could feel his anger being reigned in, and his resolve harden. Confusion was giving place to certainty, and even though she doubted she was the sole catalyst of the transformation, she was glad to see a hint of the Sesshomaru she knew behind the icy armor of the dog youkai that stood before her. His golden eyes met with hers, white clashing with black, and for seconds that felt like eternity their souls resonated with each other.

"Do what you must."

With that, he left the girls to themselves and made his way through the courtyard once again; this time, however, his footsteps were lighter and more decided than ever.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Cha****pter 32**

It wasn't long before the typical spicy smell reached Sesshomaru's nose. He had just arrived in his Father's chambers, casting a glance toward his discarded piece of armor before climbing up the stairs that led to his bedroom when Kitana appeared. She moved slowly, treading carefully toward the taiyoukai and finally decided to stay up in the rafters, sitting cross-legged with her back to a large wooden beam.

For a while none of them spoke. Sesshomaru went to the fireplace, added some wood and lost himself in the contemplation of the flames. He then turned his head to the side where the bottle and cup of sake had been abandoned and in a way totally uncharacteristic of him, he sat down comfortably amongst the many cushions that garnished this section of the room, his back still turned to Kitana.

Still immobile up there above his head, she was worried. Never once had she seen him in such turmoil; his emotions were hard to define for they changed constantly, but the more time slipped by the more he appeared to calm down. Sitting on the ground, his elbow propped upon his right knee and his chin in his hand, he looked pensive and somewhat vulnerable. It troubled her. Sesshomaru was far from his usual self, his demeanour showing clearly how difficult it was for him to move forward in the circumstances. But he was taiyoukai, and right before her eyes she could see him regaining his confidence as he plotted something.

However, stillness was not her strength and she was growing more nervous as time went by, her anger at the taiyoukai not trusting her dissipating before the confusion he was in. Cautiously she descended and sat beside him, about two arms' length to his right. She couldn't hold it anymore.

"Sesshomaru I… I apologize for not telling you anything, it was not my intentions. I should have realized that Medved told you nothing of the plan, but I disregarded everything I felt from you and I made mistakes. I ended up hurting you. I hope you will be able to forgive me."

Sesshomaru turned toward her and stared at her with a severe frown upon his face.

"You are overestimating the impact of your behavior on This Sesshomaru; do not assume that simply because you know my emotions, you know the motivations behind them. It would be a grave mistake to do so."

Knowing full well how proud her companion was, Kitana smiled to him gently.

"Of course I wouldn't assume that, it would be foolish. This is a lesson we both learned, each in our own time."

"Hn."

His gaze was back onto the fire, but he was not lost in thoughts anymore.

"You mentioned the bear; is he part of your scheme?"

Finally relaxing, Kitana nodded.

"Yes. I asked him to tell you discreetly of my infiltration of your enemies, so you could back me up and act as if my betrayal was real."

One silver brow lifted slightly.

"Oh? He did not."

She sighed and sadly shook her head.

"Not surprising. He never agreed with the plan. He told me you were very poor at acting and even if you tried you couldn't fake a clash in our relationship. I laughed at him, told him you could just keep the same straight face as ever and nobody would notice it wasn't for real, but he ended the discussion when he said that if you knew what I was planning to do, you would try to stop me hence blowing everything up."

"He was right, I would never have agreed with this idea of yours. The bear acted the only way he could to help us. You won his respect and his trust; this is no small feat."

Puzzled, Kitana questioned him.

"What do you mean he helped us?"

"He fuelled the rumors of your treason, and tried to convince me to rescue you from the fox and the weasel."

She frowned.

"How the hell was that any help? If anything, he put me in danger!"

Golden eyes peered into her soul as he captured her gaze, intensifying the weight of his speech.

"He forced a confrontation between us in the open, in front of countless witnesses. A real confrontation. He was right; I am no actor. If anything, this argument in the courtyard and later in the alley was what guaranteed the success of your plan."

Kitana had to admit it; the taiyoukai was speaking the truth. When she acted as if he was aware of her plan, he was not, and in the end the result was better than any rehearsed scene. She gained Sai and Yoko's trust. The side effects were painful though, and resulted in a deep resentment. She wondered if the results would be worth it, but she doubted it.

"Sesshomaru…"

Her voice was low and uncertain, and she nervously shifted position, sitting on her heels with her arms encasing her knees. The tip of her tail, the so deadly blade, was the only part of her that she couldn't keep still, and it swayed left to right endlessly, in a movement not unlike that of a nervous cat. She eyed the fire, pondering how easily this tamed element could become a natural disaster and burn down the house it served to heat; a little like how their own emotions had been turned against them and could end up destroying everything that needed so long to develop. As only silence met with her inquiry, indicating there was no objection to her coming question, she pushed her thoughts farther.

"It worked, but only because you easily believed in my treason."

Once again, only the timid crackles of the fire filled the silence that followed her words.

"Then you tried to win me back, isn't it what you attempted in that alley? Clumsily but… It was your goal wasn't it? You were not aware of the fox spying on us; there was only honesty in your actions… And you were right about the bond between us, that we both know what lies deep in each other's hearts…"

"Come to the point, woman."

She raised her head a little, trying to make eye contact, but the fire seemed to be highly interesting on that night. She noticed, however, how hard his jaws were clenched.

"I felt your sadness and loneliness when you were by yourself on that roof. I saw it turn into anger, and then become even darker as time went by. When I came to get you earlier so you could hear Sai's confession, your hatred was so heavy in the air it almost suffocated me. To think it was directed at me…"

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, doing her best to concentrate on what she had to say.

"What I need to know, Sesshomaru, is simple. You said it yourself, you know the depth of the feelings I have for you, even if I did not acknowledge it. Knowing that, how could you believe in my betrayal, and then be convinced of it so thoroughly that you started hating me? How could you hate me so much you would abandon me to the hands of your own enemies without even a fight? You know my heart better than anyone ever could, and yet… And yet you don't."

When she opened her eyes, she was caught unaware by the intensity of the gaze that was upon her. Still sitting casually, her companion had finally shifted his attention upon her. She gulped nervously, and it was a whisper that left her lips.

"I don't recognize you, Sesshomaru. I don't know who you are anymore."

For a few moments, both of them kept their eyes trained on the other, unmoving and unblinking. Kitana was on the verge of crying and she fought it with all her might, for it would not do to show her fragility in front of one who loathed weakness. Finally, she gave up.

"I knew you would refuse to speak to me, I should have seen it coming. Sorry for even asking the question." She swallowed her pain and trampled on her pride before going on. "So this leaves us with the planning of tomorrow."

Slowly rising from her hunched position, she took a couple of deep breaths before going on.

"I have to convince your mother once and for all that my relationship with Sai is strong, and that I truly left you. I will think about something, try to do your best not to ruin it. Then I am going to leave this cursed castle with Sai and wait for you to join us. If you don't find us I will find you. I will uphold my end of the deal, help you to lure Naraku out. Afterwards… I don't think I can travel with you again, Sesshomaru. I can't bear it anymore."

She kept her eyes on the one who had been so present in the last months of her life, wondering how she would do without him. Then she tried to push those thoughts aside and focus on the task ahead. It wouldn't be easy, but she would not come back on her decision to help him.

"What did you show my Father that frightened him so much?"

It was so like the usual Sesshomaru, to totally ignore what she was saying and direct the conversation in his advantage. Slowly, she shook her head.

"I can't show you. It wouldn't change anything in the end, only make me suffer."

"The mink knows?"

Eyes wide opened in a righteous indignation, she answered him with no hesitation.

"No! If I can't tell you, how can you even think I would tell her?"

"What is she to you? And you to her?"

The ebony creature did not anticipate the question; she thought he was going to continue to press her against her will about this subject she hated so much, so she was caught unaware and her answer was unprepared.

"Why do you ask, now of all time?"

Her question changed nothing; as always, once he set his mind on something, the taiyoukai would not be sidetracked. Knowing full well how persistent he could be, she decided to indulge his curiosity before leaving him.

"To me, she is nothing but a mean to an end. To her…"

She sighed.

"She is quite the naïve girl. She tried to keep it from you, but your father described one part of his vision quite clearly in his scroll. He saw I was in love with a woman, and he wrote it down, right to the details. Somehow it struck a chord in Sai, and since I set foot in here she's been doing her best to seduce me, although she is so inexperienced it was almost laughable."

"Hn. Disgusting."

Kitana tensed again, but knowing how unstable her interlocutor was, she reigned in her reaction and calmed down.

"Pitiful, yes but I wouldn't say disgusting. She is misled, but she thinks that a woman will be better than a man for her. The fox is her lover, but he is a very abusive guy. He has total control over her actions, makes her do his bidding, physically punish her for no reason. Last night, I not only overheard their conversation, I also witnessed… I witnessed terrible things he did to her. In her mind, I am the one who will end all her torments."

"Is she trustworthy?"

A frown marring her features, she answered him in a soft voice.

"I would like to say yes, but in reality I can't be sure. I can't read her mind, but I think she can be trusted."

Sesshomaru seemed to ponder her words for a short while, head slightly cocked to the side, before he continued.

"You do not realize what is happening, do you?"

Frowning, she asked for clarification. Slowly, Sesshomaru rose from his position and closed the distance separating them in one short stride.

"You are repeating the past. You are her Jess, and she is just like who you were."

A confused look on her face, she could do nothing but stare at him. Irritated by this attitude that mirrored his own, he felt obliged to further explain his thoughts.

"It may be unconscious on your part, but you are re-enacting your own story while playing another role. She is the slave and you are the saviour; she is you, and you are Jess. She falls for you and you for her, and in the end you will manage to free her from her masters. Don't you see the similarities?"

Kitana was dumbfounded; as his words penetrated her mind, she found herself unable to think, unable to act, as if she entered a state of shock. She turned the hurtful phrases in her head again and again, trying to find the flaw in the cold logic of the taiyoukai, but the more she tried the more she saw how right he was. How she had been tricked, by her own subconscious, while all along believing she was the one in control, the master behind a grand scheme. How naïve of her.

A sensation of helplessness filled her, flowed through her veins like an icy liquid, while her chest became so hot she thought it would rip open under the pressure. She started to shake slightly and tears came to her eyes, menacing to roll down her cheeks if she batted an eyelid. Unable to hold it anymore, she swirled around in the intention of jumping up, back to the passage hidden in the ceiling, back to the darkness where she could fully apprehend and understand the predicament she put herself in.

In the split-second she took to absorb the words and decide to flee, another one took a decision. A pale clawed hand came down on her black shoulder, stopping her retreat and bringing her back to earth, back to reality.

"It was not This Sesshomaru's intent to hurt you."

The hand on her shoulder squeezed a little bit, in a gesture not unlike one would do to reassure; but his lack of experience in this particular domain made him use a little excess of strength, just enough to make the act more menacing than comforting. In a quick movement, Kitana removed her shoulder from under the pressure.

"And just what effect did you plan to have on me, with words like that? It's just cruel."

Her voice was shaky and low and an acidic smell came to his nose. Slowly, gently, he placed his hand back on her shoulder and turned her around so she would look at him. She averted her eyes to the side, but he could see the tears that now flew freely on her cheeks. He tilted her chin up with his hand, removing a tear with his thumb and felt a light fizz as the liquid touched his finger. Her skin was so soft, almost silky under his touch, so different than the feeling he got when he touched her clothes. He tried to remember how she felt in his arms the night he almost lost her, in the hot springs after the destruction of the rats' nest, but at that moment he was too absorbed in his task to notice anything.

"This Sesshomaru… I do not wish to see you make blatant mistakes, Kitana. Mistakes that would make you suffer. You have a choice to make, and decisions to take, but I would rather see you take those decisions with full knowledge of the consequences than hastily and pushed by your anger at me. You say she means nothing to you, but it is untrue. If you are planning to leave my side in her favor, then please do it while knowing why you chose her, not manipulated by your subconscious."

Her eyes never stopped weeping, never left his own gaze, but slowly she reached up with her left hand and placed it over his wrist, her fingers playing upon his skin. He was mesmerized by that sight, and was caught unaware when she reduced the distance between them and hugged him, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck, her arms snaking around his shoulders and waist. Her tears worsened though, and even if she kept it silent, he could feel the tremors that travelled through her as clearly as he felt her emotions, before their link broke down. Slowly, as if he was dealing with a frightened doe, he placed his unsteady hand on her nape and started stroking her, in small circular movements.

"You became so important to me, Sesshomaru. The time where I was only an annoyance, a girl you wouldn't kill but couldn't abandon seems like it was centuries ago. You forced me to walk on my own two legs, to value my life and fight for it by myself. You tolerated when I ran off from you, you searched for me and then saved my life. You trusted me when I thought you wouldn't, and you were there for me in my moments of weakness. You became so important to me, much more than a friend ever would, and it made me so confused."

It took him a moment to process what she was saying as he was engulfed in the moment. Her body was pressed against him, her breasts pushing just below his own and he couldn't help but wonder own it would feel to take one in his hand, to massage it slowly, then more vigorously. Her hands behind his back were holding him as an anchor, as if she would drown if she released him, and his muscles free of his armor were tight and hard, bracing against the intimate contact and at the same time enjoying it immensely. The words reached him, but through a fog that cleared up when she stopped speaking.

"Confused?"

She nodded against him. His masculine scent filled her nose and she became conscious of the strong, muscular body that was in such an intimate contact with hers, of his cheek caressing the side of her head, of his breath warming up her nape. Both of them were filled with confusion, but she realized that hers didn't affect him anymore. Their emotional connection was gone, but apparently their physical attraction was not; she became conscious of how intimately she could feel him, with only thin clothes separating them.

"I couldn't understand myself, my reactions, anymore. I always thought it was normal for me to have an inclination… toward females. After all there are no male aliens. When I realized what I felt from you was not unlike what I felt for Jess, it was… disturbing."

"It is normal for a female to be drawn to males."

"Not for me. My preference for women was certitude, just as you know the sun will rise at dawn and you will fall back to the ground if you jump up. You troubled me, forced me to rethink about my beliefs. Then, just as I was coming to term with the idea, you rejected me. You started to hate me. And I don't know where I stand anymore."

She tried to pull away from him, all the hurt of the past hours coming back at her, but he did not let her go; his arm was holding her firmly against his chest. All she managed to do was to crane her neck so she could look at him, eye to eye. The sky was still dark, no sign of the coming dawn was written on it, when he finally broke the silence.

"This Sesshomaru lost confidence."

Hearing his unexpected words but not believing what she heard, Kitana opened her mouth to speak but closed it right away. He wanted to explain himself? She would not hinder him. However, puzzlement was obvious enough in her eyes for the taiyoukai to notice it. Under her inquiring gaze, he finally sighed in such an uncommon way, as if pressure was removed from him. He then straightened up, but there was not any fierceness in him anymore.

"Do not get me wrong. My trust in you was strong when we set foot in here. My intent was not to use you, but to let you do whatever you deemed necessary for the success of my quest. I knew you would be skilled at infiltration and the gathering of information, helping me to sort out the truth from the false, but never once I imagined you would take such a direct approach."

His eyes, still trained on her, became clouded and unfocused, as if he was in fact looking through her; she felt his pain adding up to hers.

"I decided to see for myself if you were really spying or betraying me. However, I discovered I could not accept seeing you courted by the marten, and when it appeared that your reaction was favourable to her, I wanted nothing but to rip her to shreds."

"But you didn't."

Slowly, he shook his head.

"I didn't."

"Why?"

Her voice was so low it strained the taiyoukai's ears to hear them, but he heard her question. He closed his eyes for an instant, and it was also in a whisper that he answered back.

"As I said, I lost confidence. In myself. This Sesshomaru does not fight unnecessary or hopeless battles. Your preference for females was certitude to me as well as to you. I am male, so I lost any hope of winning you the instant you returned this female's affections. I was defeated before the fight started."

Kitana was staring at him, open-mouthed. She couldn't believe what she heard. Tears were drying up in her eyes, replaced by a justified anger, and she swallowed down the last remnants of her sorrow.

"You are such a stupid dog."

Sesshomaru's whole attention snapped back to her, and the sight he saw made his stomach churn. He realized at this instant that he couldn't feel her at all anymore, for her anger was so clearly written on her face it should have hit him like a ton of bricks. She was still caught in his hug, with her arms now between them and fistfuls of his garments clenched in her hands, her fangs bared in a snarl and she was slightly shaking under the pressure of her muscles ready for battle. The only point that did not fit into this portrait was the lone tear that travelled slowly down one of her cheeks. With a frown, he tried not to react aggressively to her bearing and her provocative words, but it was not easy.

"Twice tonight I've been insulted so, woman."

"Yeah? Maybe because you deserve it? You are the most stupid male I ever had the bad luck to meet. And tell me now, what in the world made you jump down from that rooftop and kidnap me, if you were feeling so utterly defeated by this little youkai, this slip of a girl?"

"The fox."

"The fox? You mean Yoko?"

The heat of anger rolled off in waves from Sesshomaru, when he thought about the degrading words that darn fox dared to say on that rooftop.

"Hn."

While he spoke, he slowly let go of his hold over Kitana and she could finally remove herself from his grasp. She took a step back, worry and questions etched on her features in an obvious way. She was trying her best to understand him, but every time she thought she had made an advance, he surprised her with something unexpected.

Mistaking her silence for an incentive to explain himself, he continued.

"The fox was the trigger, and then when I figured you were truly trying to infiltrate them, I couldn't let you do it. Regardless of what I knew of your… inclinations, I had to step in and remove you from their grasp; whatever means it took."

"So when you kissed me, and declared your love to me, was it a means to an end also?"

He blinked, surprised by how direct she was.

"You should know that better than anyone; but the answer is no."

She turned around, sighing while she shook her head.

"How I wish we could simply go back to how things were before we came in this cursed place!"

Sesshomaru was not satisfied by her attitude; not being used to sentimental things, he had always believed that being courted was a pleasure, if not an immense honor, to females. He took the steps necessary to stand in front of her again and in a gesture that was becoming a habit, he pulled her chin up.

"Things are bound to change; the way they change is up to us, this time. There are choices to make. What will be yours?"

She took his hand in hers in a defiant way, her eyes alit with anger.

"Sesshomaru, how can you expect me to coldly decide if I love you? You have no sensibility! What I feel for you is strong, but what if it is a mistake? What if I am really not suited to be with you, as more than a friend? I do not want to end up in a mess bigger than it is already. I do not think I could handle it."

He eyed her carefully, his face the usual mask of disinterest but his mind running to keep track of where her thoughts were going.

"You want the girl. Despite what I said."

Her shoulders sagged and she removed her hands from upon his; but she couldn't remove her eyes from under his control.

"It… it doesn't matter if I want her or not. You were right in your analysis, the situation with her is twisted and I absolutely do not want to be caught in something like that. The past is the past and I don't want to go through something like that again."

"But still, you want her."

His insistence only managed to fuel the anger that was burning in her. She would not tread warily around him anymore. She had had it.

"And what if I do want her? It's not a crime! What if I don't know what I want anymore? You put everything in my life upside down, mixing and juggling my feelings as if they did not matter at all! With Sai everything is simple; I want her, I take her, we have a good time and then I let her go and I forget her. With you…"

She started pacing nervously, turning his back to him, and then coming back. Her antics were making him giddy.

"With you everything is overcomplicated! I don't want to loose you, I want to… I… I wish I could return the same feelings to you, but I'm afraid! I'm afraid I won't be able to, I'm afraid because you are not a female and despite that I'm attracted to you! Don't you understand? I'm totally out of my comfort zone here. I don't know how to act; I don't know what to do or not to do, if I'm acting stupid or what! I can't believe all this is happening; it should not have developed that way. I never felt anything for a man before. It's not normal for me, don't you see?"

Her outburst had brought Kitana near the fireplace, after she paced all over the place. Seeing the bottle of sake, she sat down abruptly and poured a cup that she gulped down in one sip, before filling another one. Feeling the weight she was bearing starting to lift from her shoulders, she sighed deeply.

Sesshomaru had followed her speech and her movements across the room, and one of his brows went up into his bangs when he saw her drink the alcoholic beverage. Wasn't she sick with regular food?

Silently, he joined her on the cushions and sat beside her. He removed the little cup from her hand after she had gulped her third one, and poured some more, contemplating the slightly yellowed tint of the liquid, before drinking it slowly. Then, he let his deep voice break the silence.

"What if sentiments are triggered by the person, rather than the gender? By past experiences lived together, moments shared, instead of the obvious like being male or female? What if you chose to develop a relationship with Jess because she was a special being, not because you were inclined to love any and all women?"

"Of course Jess was special, silly. She was Jess."

He looked at her pensively.

"Maybe there are other special beings out there. Would you miss the opportunity to live something precious and rare because the person in question was the wrong gender?"

She gave him a sceptical look out of the corner of her eye.

"Would you? If I was a boy, would I still be interesting to you?"

The sting to his pride was sudden and unexpected, and he almost answered that it would never happen to him, for he would never be attracted to another male. Realizing as his mouth was starting to open that saying so would undoubtedly ruin his argumentation, he recoiled, but unconsciously opened his senses to detect any uninvited presence that might overhear their conversation.

"I would certainly be confused, and probably in deep turmoil, for beings like you are rare and need to be treasured."

She turned her head toward him, surprised by his answer; she was really expecting the outburst of male pride that he had been about to give her.

"Please stop drinking; it makes you say very weird things. Much too weird."

On these words, a tiny smirk came to the corner of Sesshomaru's mouth; he rose on his feet, taking the bottle of sake with him.

"You are one to talk. Shall I remind you that you drank sake imbued of youki, in a quantity large enough to make most youkai stumble?"

"Alcohol does not affect me to me. And youki is only wisps of energy, nothing to brag about. I'm not lucky enough to be able to drown my sorrows in something as simple as liquor."

"But it will make you sick; and I do not wish to discover if your excretions can eat through the floor as efficiently as your blood"

This thought brought a smile to her lips, and Sesshomaru's smirk became less subtle.

"No comment; I agree with you on that point."

He went to the low table set closer to the stairs and deposited the sake there. When he came back to the hearth, Kitana was still sitting, eyes unfocused in the general direction of the fire. He stopped for an instant then turned toward the bed and arranged the sheets for one person. Afterward, he scooped up the black skinned woman within his arm with some help from his pelt, before almost throwing her disagreeing self onto the bed.

"What is this for?" she asked almost seething with indignation, her legs balancing on the edge of the mattress, feet and claws not even touching the floor.

Not caring about her attitude, Sesshomaru returned toward the window where he sat, left leg bent before him on the windowsill, the other crossed under it.

"You are exhausted; I suspect you have not slept since yesterday morning. There are still a couple of hours left before dawn. I will awaken you when time comes; in the meanwhile, I suggest you take a rest."

Not understanding where all this was going, Kitana felt the plump mattress that was apparently made from down, a good foot thick of down. The quilt was in fact a duvet, and counting the pillows, a whole colony of eiders was probably necessary to stuff all these items. Sleeping in there was no doubt like sleeping in heaven, on a cloud.

"I have my own futon, you know. In my own room; where I should be going now."

"Nonsense. You would not be able to sleep in there; too many enemies surrounding you. At sunrise you will go meet the marten and prepare for the execution of your plan."

Eyes reduced to slits, in a good imitation of her mentor, she tried to counter his arguments the best she could; but he was right, she was worn out. She yawned, showing an impressive set of teeth, before tucking herself beneath the inviting sheets.

"Yeah, yeah… Good night then, Sesshomaru."

"Hn."

**SSSSS**

Sesshomaru sat unmoving on the windowsill until hints of violet and pink started to color the sky. His meditation led to a new resolve, one that he would not deviate from. Comforted by his decision, he stifled a yawn and realized how deprived of sleep he was himself; on the coming day Naraku would be brought within his reach, either with the help of his mother or with Kitana's scheme, and it was best to be prepared for that encounter. He gave a look to his sleeping comrade, alone in the bed large enough for three persons. Noticing how she was balled up at the edge of the large mattress, he rose and reached the other side where he lied on his back after removing his haori and his youki-filled fur pelt for more comfort. Satisfaction was almost visible on his features when he pulled the thick quilt up to his chin; it had been years since he slept on something more comfortable than a layer of leaves or his fur pelt.

He was about to awaken Kitana before going to sleep himself when something unexpected happened. Somehow, the girl had sensed his presence in her sleep and turned toward him, reaching him in a fluid, snake-like motion that took him totally by surprise. An arm travelled across his chest while a leg treacherously slipped between his knees; before he could react, he had a sleeping female laying halfway on top of him, her cheek on his left shoulder, and the rest of her body encasing him in an intimate hug.

Yes, she was deep asleep. It was the first thing he verified when his skin made contact with another chest, a feminine one that wasn't supposed to act that way. Eyes wide open, his whole body tensed as if the whole thing was the prelude to an attack, but he finally started to relax when he understood that she had not premeditated the move. She was not even conscious of it. Judging by the conversation they had before she went to sleep, she would probably be greatly embarrassed about the situation if she happened to awaken in that posture.

For an instant, he was tempted to take advantage of her unconsciousness to feel her body a little bit; after all, she was offering herself to his touch, wasn't she? Her soft breasts were crushed upon him, moving with each breath she took. Her legs were no better: her left thigh was in such an intimate contact with him that the most minute muscle contraction brought him shivers. He stayed immobile though, savoring the images that came to his mind as he thought about where this could lead if she were awake. He would free himself from this delicate situation in a moment and send her to her mission. Yes, in a moment or three.

The girl however had other plans in mind. She was starting to breathe faster and to move against him. She lightly brushed her cheek against his solid pectorals in her sleep, ending her caress with a soft touch of her lips upon his skin. The gesture sent fire burning threw his veins, and the effect was multiplied when her left hand unknowingly caught his right nipple and started stroking it in a mischievous way. The sensation was divine, and his arousal couldn't help but grew under her ministrations.

A light moan caught his ears and he quickly assessed her state, but she was deep into sleep, probably having one of her erotic dreams. Her hips started to follow her moods and she brushed herself against him, ending the movement with an upward stroke with her left thigh. She slowly repeated the gesture again, and again, achieving to arouse Sesshomaru to the fullest. He gulped, and then inhaled sharply as a more precise movement brought her intimate regions in close contact with his left hip bone, triggering a deeper moan on her part. The silky hakamas and her paper-thin clothes were a pitiful barrier between them, allowing him to feel her to the fullest. What she was dreaming about he had an idea, and he wondered how he would feel had they still shared their mind bond.

His eyes grew suddenly when he turned the idea around; he was not feeling her emotions anymore, but she was still a highly sensible empath. His own arousal was probably the trigger that started everything, not any regular dream that she had so frequently when they were travelling. Trying to go back to reality, he was about to stop this nonsense when she surprised him once more. Her left hand trailed his collarbone up onto his neck, while at the same moment her head came up to his ear, licking it sensuously. He froze totally under the caress, his mind going blank, and could feel every place that she licked while she travelled downward below his ear. He felt how she started to suckle on his flesh, right at the base of his neck, and then the burning sensation of teeth breaking down his skin reached him.

Jolted from his phantasm as if a bucket of icy water had been thrown on him, he caught her by the neck and pried her away from the wound she had created, blood pouring out of his neck. The violence of his reaction awakened Kitana, and before she could understand what was happening she was offering a counter-attack. Her left knee that was nestled in between his thighs came up lightning fast, brutally making contact with the aroused private parts of the poor unsuspecting male. She straightened her leg in preparation for another strike, while at the same time whipping the air with her tail. Her claws and the blades upon the back of her tail ripped both the duvet and the mattress open, and kilograms of down were propelled threw the air. While she did so, Sesshomaru reacted by throwing his opponent away from him, before balling up on his side, unable to breath. Blood was still oozing from his wound but his demonic healing powers were in action, quickly closing up the bite. The crimson liquid however had flown all over his chest, tainting his pillow and mattress in a way that would be difficult to erase.

Kitana was regaining her senses after hitting against the wall on Sesshomaru's right. She was sitting down, massaging her throat and wondering why she could taste blood on her tongue. The taiyoukai was still trying to get over the blow he received, his back turned to her, his muscles taunt and contracted.

She coughed and it was with a rough voice that she addressed him.

"Are you trying to kill me Sesshomaru? Damn you almost ripped out my throat!"

His head swirled around and pure anger was visible in his eyes; the blow she gave him was as much to his pride as to his body, and he was not about to accept her accusatory tone.

"You bit me, woman!"

Sensing his dangerous mood, Kitana moved away from the bed, going round it until she reached the window that led to the garden. She wanted a quick exit available in case things became ugly.

"Well, what were you doing in my bed, close enough for me to bite you?"

Starting to gain an understanding of the events, she took a good look at the scene. White down was slowly landing upon every surface it could find, the room looking like a snowstorm had just passed by. Absently she chased a tiny feather as it was entering her nose; Sesshomaru was the thing that caught her attention. He was starting to sit up, his hand still cupping his tender male parts, and the down that settled upon him stuck to the rivulets of blood that covered him from neck to waist. Some of it also got into his hair and to the bed all around him. The blend of colors was striking, if not beautiful; the handsome male specimen with only a pair of white hakamas on, his silver hair cascading around him on the bed sheets, golden eyes and crimson blood contrasting vividly with the whiteness of the scene.

"The bed is mine, and my actions need no justification!"

Sesshomaru finally let go of his wounded self to start cleaning up the mess. A quick swipe at the blood on his chest transferred the now sticky feathers to his hand, and they decided that they would not be dislodged from there. Shaking his hand in mid-air, he eyed the bed sheets with irritation; his education told him it was a bad idea to wipe his hand on them or worse, to use his poison to melt the down, but as he took in the extent of the damages, he decided a little more blood wouldn't be so bad. The bed was in ruins: only its wooden structure had survived the ordeal, so he resisted the urge to purge himself from the poison that was already reaching the tip of his claws.

Seeing his fight against good manners and his irritation toward something as insignificant as feathers, Kitana couldn't catch her laugh before it left her lips. She could only theorize about the events that led to that fateful bite, but she surmised that she did not go directly to his neck; somehow he had let her approach, and she could only guess as to why. The taiyoukai totally deserved his situation.

"Well," she said pointing at the window, "it's better if I get going. The sun is up now, and Sai will get anxious if I don't show up soon."

A fierce look was her only answer, but she could now feel something different coming from the irate taiyoukai: shame. Or something close to it. Puzzled, she stalled a little bit instead of leaving as quickly as she was going to. What was disturbing him?

"Leave this room."

"I will. But you know… I should warn you. This morning is the last hours we have to make your mother totally believe in our clash. So… I'll be convincing. Really convincing."

"Leave. Do whatever you think is necessary, but leave now."

"Yeah… I will. Good luck with the servants!"

He was still angry at her when she turned her back to him and jumped on the rafters, disappearing from his sight as the darkness of the secret passages engulfed her. However, he was also irritated by his own behavior; it did not befit him to put the blame on her when in reality, he was the sole responsible for the mess he was now in. Had he disengaged himself from under her when she first sought him out, nothing of this would have happened. He wondered if he should have reigned in his temper and taken more time to speak with her this morning; it was not a good way to part, that was sure. The topic of the turtle also came to his mind, but he pushed it away. They could always talk about the old youkai lady later on, after Naraku's demise. He rose, took a quick look toward his clothes and fur but decided against wearing them; he needed a bath first, a very cold one.


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 33**

For hours now Sesshomaru had been threading threw the dense foliage in the deepest parts of Inuyasha's forest. The late afternoon sun was hot and his armor was becoming a hindrance, as well as his sword and pelt that got caught in almost every little branch.

Usually, he was able to walk through any woods without so much as cracking a twig. Today however, it was not the case. Irritation was starting to build up inside him, but he was patient enough to tolerate this and control himself until he met his goal. He was trailing Kitana's scent since he set foot on the ground, and this was the reason of his predicament.

The girl apparently knew nothing about walking in animal tracks, even after months of travelling with him in deep woods. Every animal of the forest, be they dears, bears, wolves and even down to rabbits and grouses, would never walk into the thick of the woods. These simple minded animals with an intellect just high enough to harbor some instinctual behaviors knew that it was a risky way of locomotion: if the noises didn't attract predators, then exhaustion would get them for it was very difficult to walk in these parts. It was easy enough to locate those tracks made after years of use by the local fauna and walk in them, as he always did.

Kitana had disregarded those very simple principles, as her subtle scent was telling him. Oh, the girl was probably travelling through the canopy, but nonetheless it was an ordeal to follow her. The taiyoukai could have jumped into the higher branches as well; in fact he did it at first. But he quickly changed idea: tracking was easier on the ground where the soil had absorbed the so few molecules that attested of her passage, and he was a little heavy to hide atop the trees. His footing was sure even with boots on, but he couldn't run and jump like she surely did while following her smell; he had to stop regularly to assess if he was still on her tracks, and those pauses put too much strain on the tree limbs.

He first tracked the marten, as her musky scent was easily recognizable, but he soon discovered they parted ways not much longer after leaving the castle. At some point before they separated he had also smelled other scents, those of inuyoukai and maybe fox and they followed Kitana's track. She had somehow led her pursuers away from the marten, deep into these rough woods, and for this reason he was thus reduced to walk a snail pace through thickets even a goat wouldn't enter.

He was surprised not to feel any kind of worry for the situation of the black creature; his trust in her was more solid than ever before, and after an hour of tracking her he finally confirmed the legitimacy of his faith in her when he found a sleeping dog youkai. The guy was wearing the uniform of his mother's personal army and even a well-placed kick in the ribs did not wake him up. Later on, he found three others, all of them deeply asleep, and he left them be.

These soldiers were way behind him now, having diverted from Kitana's path a short moment ago, but apparently she continued ahead in an area as dirty as the rest of the woods he went through. It was easy enough to forget about this whole predicament for the simple pleasure of placing his feet where he wanted them to be, on a ground not covered by white marble and in a forest so deep he couldn't see past the few trees ahead of him. No unobstructed view where you could see that the whole universe was resumed in a handful of buildings scattered across a courtyard. It felt so good to be free again, to regain his control over his own life, that he was ready to travel miles across the dirtiest forest without complaints.

His first thoughts when he left the castle were about Rin. He finally decided against seeking her, not for her safety since the child was present in most battles that he fought, but for the sake of not loosing time. He knew Kitana was waiting for him somewhere and he did not want to postpone the results of her plan to get the child back.

The meeting with his mother's advisors had been a huge farce, and he still had difficulties recalling what happened without seeing his temper flare.

When he set foot into the dining room where the assembly was convoked, he was first shocked by the small amount of people in presence. The courtyard had been teeming with life on the last evening with all the spies and messengers sent to give information about Naraku, while at the reunion only one or two out of ten were present. The demonic music that Kitana unleashed at the feast totally exhausted most of the guests. A majority of them had left the grounds at first light, at least those who had some carriage in which they could sleep the way home. Those who were present at the reunion had either arrived late this morning or had woken up mere moments before the meeting with sleep still etched on their features as they sat around the long table. Apparently the generals obtained the information they needed before everybody flew from the castle, for even the messengers in presence were sitting a step back from the table, behind the general that they depended on.

To his utmost displeasure, the intelligence he gathered was finally very scant. The generalities went on for half an hour before the real discussions started; apparently every one of the spies wanted its region of origin to be well known before giving away anything they knew about the whereabouts of the hanyou Naraku. Almost every part of Japan was represented, down to the most remote swamps or snow-covered mountains. At last, when finally the subject of Naraku came he was greatly disappointed by the results; apparently no one in the vast network controlled by his mother had anything to say about the spider. He did not utter a word in the whole meeting, his mother being the one asking the questions in that reunion, but it did not matter; she asked for what he wished to know, for unexplained disappearance of high ranked youkai, devastated human settlements or huge gatherings of lower youkai abandoning their turfs to travel in huge masses in the skies. She even thought about the toxic effects of Naraku's miasma on the trees and shrubberies, but to his dismay even this was not observed by the youkai in presence. He knew some definitely lied, but as the spies had the presence of mind to send messengers in their stead, it was impossible to find and punish the liars: the messengers only repeated what they were told to say, and did not know of the veracity of their words.

He had finally left the place frustrated and disappointed; had he known that his mother would be so inefficient at sniffing out his enemy, had he known all the trouble he would have to get through to obtain nothing more than a bunch of lies and misleading information, he would have refrained from ever going back to that damned castle. The only thing remotely interesting that happened on his stay was the revelation of the link between Kitana and his father, and the words of the turtles. Even this information he preferred not to think about for he felt they might very well spell trouble for his friend from space.

He still felt the heavy looks his mother sent him along the reunion. She was angry at her son, justifiably so, but she was too much of a lady to scold him publicly. He thanked her upbringings many times during the meeting; he had had enough of being humiliated by her words for centuries to come. He would not have endured it anymore.

He thought about the reason behind her anger while navigating around the roots of a fallen tree, one that had seen probably as many summers as he did. Yes, had he been much younger he would have received a good spanking for his actions. A devilish smirk came to his lips as he replayed the whole scene in his mind.

**SSSSS**

When he finally left his chambers after taking a long bath that left him clean of any remnants of blood and down, it was about mid-morning. He was a mere observer on this morning, not knowing exactly what Kitana had in mind to convince his mother and knowing it was best that way, for he needed to be genuinely surprised for the lady to believe in the clash between her son and the onyx skinned predator. He had the feeling though that it would not be the most pleasant surprise, and he braced himself for it.

He did not have much to do on this morning; speaking to Medved the Russian bear came to his mind, but he dismissed the idea immediately. He could not suffer the big oaf and whatever would unfold today would do so without his intervention.

He wandered on the courtyard in the general direction of Kitana's lodgings when he heard a group of youkai ushering somewhere behind a building. He approached the corner where they were hiding with no intention of modifying his path to accommodate their need for secrecy; nor did he want to eavesdrop, for the antics of the commoners were of no concern to him.

However, he changed his mind right as he was about to round the corner when one of the youkai mentioned a black-skinned female, a newcomer in the castle. He froze in his tracks and took some time to understand what was being said.

"I tell you those girls are lovers! Yoshi saw them this morning, and they were not hiding themselves at all, kissing like they were all alone! I wanna see that, guys, so it's up to you if you come or not, but I'm going! This black girl is a total whore, I wouldn't-"

The youkai's phrase was caught short when Sesshomaru's Tokijin appeared a hair's width away from his throat. A tiny rivulet of blood descended slowly along his neck, testifying how close he had been to have his head severed from the rest of his person. The guy, an oni taller than Sesshomaru by an arm's length, was waiting for his newly found enemy to either kill him, or explain himself.

The taiyoukai fiercely eyed the pitiful group of onis, two of them being smaller than he was with brownish skin and tattered clothing made of untanned animal skins; they reeked of putrefied flesh and unkempt bodies. The one he had under the edge of his blade was not very different; taller, his flesh the color of algae and mud, he sported a horn in the middle of his forehead. The horn gave the impression that he was squint, or maybe it was because the guy couldn't detach his eyes from the weapon that threatened his life; a repulsive creature that did not have the right to use words such as whore when talking about Kitana.

He then returned his whole attention to the one who was speaking before his entrance. The impassivity of his features always made his enemies uneasy, and that one was no exception; it wasn't long until he started to shake, his skin becoming paler as each second went by.

"This Sesshomaru wants to know who you were talking about, and the place she can be found."

The two midgets didn't dare to usher a word; better not become the center of the inuyoukai's attention. It was the large one who finally mustered his courage and spoke.

"The black-skinned woman, you must have heard of her… We arrived only this morning, but we were told that two days ago she totally trashed one of the high ranking soldiers to a pulp, some chick named Psy or Spy. Now she is hanging out at the dojo with her and they are more than close friends, if you get what I mean…"

Without a word, Sesshomaru put his sword back in his sash and went his way, in the direction of the dojo.

It wasn't long until he could see others gathering at the said location; the onis he just threatened were discreetly trailing after him, unable to resist the temptation their friend spoke about. The courtyard was empty compared to the previous day, but it was still much livelier than on a usual day. Some new youkai messengers were arriving at the main entrance, climbing the stairs or flying over them, and after checking in their first reflex was to follow whoever preceded them in a general movement toward the training grounds.

Finally, he reached the huge wall encasing the opened dojo. At first glance, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Small groups of two or more armed men sporting his mother's colors trained together, some with weapons such as swords or the half-moon spears that were the signature of the house, others with nothing more than their bare teeth and claws. The different elevated arenas were the scenes of various combats, encouraged by men standing on the sides. Bets were forbidden, the pure spirit of a dojo being one of comradeship and free competition, but if one were attentive it was possible to see money changing hands after a fight.

He was intent on finding Kitana, but her delicate smell was lost in what was a sea of musk, blood and sweat scents. Male hormones were running high in that part of the castle, and their laughs, shouts and screams of pain were so loud no feminine voice could be heard above the ruckus.

It was finally by sight that he found her, and an onlooker could have said that the taiyoukai's impassive eyes twitched a little when they fell upon her form; or maybe it was just sunshine. But the fact was that he couldn't believe what he saw: the way the girl was dressed was totally outrageous, and even if he knew about her peculiar clothes, he gulped down hard when he looked at her.

The marten was slowly circulating between the groups of fighters, correcting a stance here and there with a swipe of her claws in the exposed areas; she always drew blood, and the soldiers were trying their best to avoid her hits.

Close behind her was Kitana, and let's say that she was one of the reasons why the soldiers were more bloodied than usually this morning: her presence was quite distracting.

She had gotten rid of the ladylike fashion she harbored the night before; gone were the flowing garments and silken pants. Her clothes were hugging her body closely up the neck and wrists, giving a good view on her assets to anyone who wanted to see, especially when they did not know she was not showing her real skin. The worst though was the way she used golden-colored trims to emphasize her feminine curves. Her golden collar had been modified into the neck strap of a short camisole that barely covered her breasts and stopped below her armpits, apparently held in place only by the thread that linked it to the collar. The golden band that was usually seen around her waist was now much lower than usually and thinner, looking like a mere string of tissue suspended upon her hips. Sesshomaru felt his temperature rising when he discovered how she had used the band as a minimalist loincloth, which attached at the base of her tail and descended down it in a complicated weave that went from a vertebra to another. Her snake-like bracelets were back on her forearms and similar ones were placed upon her lower legs. The tiara above her brows looked much more defined than it usually was, with its three spikes bent backward and elongated until they reached the top of her forehead. She was stunning, but the overall impression was that of a luxurious whore richly paid for her presence.

He was not the only one to think that about her, for a small group of youkai was following behind the women. Squinting his eyes to take a better look at them, he recognized the onis that were behind him moments ago; they went into the dojo when he took his time to study what was going on, and they were apparently quite riled up about something, giving each other elbows and pushes toward the girls. Finally, the big one made a move; the wrong move. He extended an arm and squeezed Kitana's backside, while his other arm snaked around her waist and turned her around. Sesshomaru stayed immobile; this guy would learn his lesson.

"Hey girlie, how ya doin' today? I heard you were fooling around with the little miss over there. I'm gonna teach you what a real man can do to a chick like you."

Surprisingly, the onyx girl did not retaliate immediately; it was the marten who intervened. The youkai around them, both the newly arrived messengers and the soldiers in training, gathered to have a better look at the situation. The oni had said out loud what many of them thought but weren't brave, or foolish enough to say and they wanted to see what the outcome would be. What Kitana was trying to do, thought Sesshomaru, was a public example, a loud demonstration of the strength of her bond to Sai. However, he would not let things unfurl just as she planned for his mother was more cunning than she thought; she would need more than that to be convinced and let her escape with Sai unharmed.

The small black haired marten turned around and eyed the large, dirty male who was groping Kitana. Fists balled on her hips in a negligent way, she smiled evilly.

"The girl is mine, mud-boy. Go back to your swamp if you value your life."

Seeing this slip of a woman act boldly in front of his large self only made the oni laugh in a thunderous exclamation that drowned the conversations around him. In an instant, the whole dojo became silent, in expectation of things to come.

"Lil' girl, you are funny. Maybe I will take you with me too, so I can see how two chicks can have fun together!"

Still enclosed within the oni's arm, Kitana finally reacted.

"And what is it you want to show me, that is so much better than a woman's touch?"

"Oooh, maybe you are interested, girlie?"

"Maybe… Come closer and show me, lover boy…"

The oni bent toward her, a smile on his dumb face while he tried to kiss his captive. The black creature did not push him back, and under Sesshomaru's unbelieving eyes, she accepted his kiss eagerly.

The taiyoukai was about to jump in the scene to destroy the impudent oni when the counterattack started. Suddenly, the back of the oni's head burst open in an explosion of brain matter and blood that covered every youkai in a two meters radius behind the large guy. In a swift movement, Kitana disengaged herself from the madly twitching dead body and threw her tail at it, opening up the abdomen of the guy and exposing his innards to everyone close enough to see. In a third and last move, she kicked the falling corpse and propelled it backward, where he fell on the two oni comrades that were accompanying him, burying them under the mound of bloodied flesh.

Kitana finally stopped her attack and turned toward Sai. Languorously, she licked her lips before bending her head down at the marten. Sai had fire in her eyes, a desire and lust so strong it was almost palpable, and Kitana couldn't help but capture her lips with her own in a kiss. The marten answered by encircling her black shoulders within her arms and kissed her back fiercely, tasting the metallic blood of the oni that lingered in Kitana's mouth. Finally, they separated, eyes locked together in the same passion.

Sai then let go of her partner and turned toward the assembled youkai.

"Listen here, you maggots! When I say this girl is mine, I mean it! And she can defend herself! If someone here wants to contest it, it's now or never, understand? So, anybody has a problem with that?"

At first, there was only silence coming from the small crowd, but after a few moments some whispers started, then grew to hushed exclamations. Before the couple, the crowd slowly parted to give way to a lone silhouette. An ethereal being was advancing toward them, paying no attention to the youkai surrounding him. His silver hairs swayed with his movements, while his pristine fur pelt trailed behind him like a sign of royalty. A tranquil assurance was fuelling him, and no emotion surfaced on his features just as if he was frozen inside.

However, the one who could feel it knew all about the turmoil he was in. Anger, irritation and lust were mixing up in a dangerous blend; he was in a bad mood.

"This Sesshomaru does."

Sai was startled by his appearance. She was clearly not prepared to face him, and she was much too weak to even try. She backed down a little, trying her best to stay strong before the soldiers and other witnesses, but knowing full well it wasn't her place to affront him publicly.

Kitana however took the bull by the horns and sidestepped the marten to advance toward him. She looked angry, very angry, and the people who were still beside her after she spectacularly killed the oni wisely turned their back and fled to most distant watching spots in the dojo.

"Sesshomaru! I told you I wanted nothing to do with you anymore. What did you not understand in that, you stupid dog?"

Sesshomaru looked at her with icy eyes, before focusing his attention to the marten.

"This Sesshomaru told you not to take what was his, thief; so as a thief you will die, before I punish the traitor."

Slowly, he unsheathed Tokijin, still not paying any attention to Kitana. The sword started to absorb his youki, before he elevated it high above his head, in preparation for a strike.

Then, right between him and his prey Kitana appeared, eyes a blazing gold. His focus lost, he just then felt the effect of her powers on the air surrounding his arm: he was unable to move his sword down in the finishing move he planned.

"This is between you and me, dog. Don't involve Sai, unless you kill me first."

An evil smirk came to the lips of the taiyoukai.

"It will be my pleasure."

She nodded, freedom was given back to his sword arm, and then he struck.

The split second necessary to remove the effects of hardened air upon Sesshomaru was all she needed to build up her armor over her arms. Under the taiyoukai's eyes, the strong plates that he had seen so many times protecting her forearms were created, with the spikes that decorated them; or rather, that allowed her to face off a swordsman with her bare hands. His Tokijin descended upon her and she blocked it with both arms, the sword caught in between the black spikes. He added strength to his attack and she began to shake under the strain, her legs pushing against the ground with all her might. This face-off gave just enough time to Sai and the soldiers and onlookers to step back away from the opponents. Then, when everybody was at a safe distance, Kitana jumped backward as far as she could, and landed in a low to the ground crouch, her tail swiping behind her from right to left, as the tail of a cat wondering what to do now.

Sesshomaru wouldn't hold back in this fight; he couldn't, for many of the soldiers present in the dojo knew him from a young age and knew all about his fighting style. If he allowed the safety of his challenger to come to his mind, or if he stopped the fight and let her flee, it would soon be known that the whole thing was fake for Sesshomaru never forgave one who crossed him.

His fierce gaze searched for Kitana's eyes, and found them. She knew that he would fight her with all his power, and it thrilled her. Her black and gold eyes were shining, alight with a flame similar to what he had seen in her in the instants before she kissed the marten so passionately: she was aroused. By him, by This Sesshomaru and not by any mere girl that pursued her with her feminine charms. It was him, for the first time ever, who lit that flame into her eyes, into her soul, and it gave him such pleasure that he almost smiled right there on the battlefield. He would not deceive her: this fight would be grand.

A new resolve appeared on her features, along with a wicked smirk of her own. She had felt his own desire for her, and she was responding to it in kind. The golden garments that constituted her clothes disappeared, melting with the black suit that covered her up. In a mesmerizing movement, it began moving upon her, concentrating on some body parts in a way he had never witnessed before. Her arm protections reached the tip of her fingers, were three inches long claws appeared. The spikes on her forearms lengthened and became thicker, while similar attributes developed along her legs up to the knees. The three claws on her feet became terribly long and sharp as well as her tarsus that elongated in mortal looking points. The long scythe-like structures on her back underwent a transformation as well, hardening and lengthening a little, but it was nothing compared to her tail. The skeletal appendage was moving faster around the creature, its vertebras developing long, sharps edges on the dorsal and the lateral sides that looked as dangerous as the blade on the very tip of the tail.

Then, before his very eyes, she became something else entirely. The otherworldly suit went past her collar and covered her neck, then her face, forehead and skull, totally erasing the features he had come to know and love. Her nose and eyes disappeared under the black substance and her face smoothed up like she never had any to begin with. The tail was now swirling at a mad pace around her black form, and Sesshomaru was under the impression that even without apparent eyes, he was under her scrutiny. Then, she parted her lips, lips he couldn't even distinguish from her face before they opened up. Her closed teeth appeared in a snarl worthy of any predator, and then they opened up widely. Her cheeks were torn apart in verticals strings of flesh and her inner jaws were thrown forward, along a hissed scream that chilled the crowd. She was poised to attack, and she did.

Her claws dug in the marble of the dojo when she lunged at him, all of her strength concentrated in those long, muscled legs. Sesshomaru savored the moment as her movements appeared almost in a slow motion to his heightened senses, her legs pushing her forward before bending again in preparation for another push. She was running on all four, her arms extended as far as she could to receive her weight before her legs entered into play again. To think that this powerful body could be his, could writhe in passion under his touch excited him to no end. She was a beast, a beast matched against an opponent too strong for her and knowing it; he could therefore be faced with anything, any trick she had in bank would be used in this fight, and it delighted him.

Time seemed to speed up when she reached him, her attacks fast and deadly. Claws sliced through the air within a hair breadth of his face. He countered her with Tokijin, using the sword almost as a stick to push her away from him. In the backward movement he imposed her, she brought up her feet and in a burst of energy, threw them at him. He backed up at the last second, letting her claws gouge six long marks in his armor right were his chest was; then, he felt pain coming from his right leg and he looked down to see the side of her tail slicing through his calf, superficially but deep enough to draw blood.

His eyes reduced to slits, he eyed her carefully as she somersaulted backward, going back to a safe distance from him. He was not holding back, but she wasn't as well and while he fought with a deadly demonic sword, she had natural weapons and protections well matched against him. Her strength was nothing compared to his, but she was cunning and had come out alive from tighter situations in the past. Underestimating her would be a mistake.

He prepared for her next offensive move by placing Tokijin horizontally in front of him, his weight well balanced upon his feet. When she finally hissed and lunged forward, he put his muscles in action; in a movement too fast for the naked eye, he hurled himself toward her, and brought his sword down on her in an horizontal slicing movement.

He first hit her forehead and it was like hitting an unwavering wall. Then, his blade slid along her smooth skull and rebounded on the first spikes of her back, leaving them unscathed but diverting the sword up in the air. Surprised by the resistance of the appendages, he reacted just quick enough to face off against the tail that was sliding toward him again. Tokijin hit it as it aimed for his head, and in a fast series of shocks the deadly tail was pushed back.

Even in their past sparring sessions, the fact that her garments could repel the sharp edge of his Tokijin had always disturbed him; how could something that appeared to be so pliable be strong enough to withstand a strike with a blade able to crack his own father's fang? It appeared impossible. But now in this fight that fact pissed him off, for he looked like a fool in front of the crowd that was quickly enlarging. He would have to find an opening, somehow he needed to break her skin; it was then that he remembered how once an enemy achieved this feat.

In the fight against the cat youkai, her first real fight after he found and trained her, one of the cats managed to make her bleed by attacking her from behind: he bit her at the nape, and for some reason her armor did not react to that attack. Every attack that she could see coming was inevitably repelled, but somehow that bite from behind her back while she was focused on something in front of her did the trick.

Smirking, he knew what had to be done; he would not kill her, he did not even intend to touch her long enough for her acid to eat through his blade. However, wounding her would be spectacular and maybe enough for her to change her strategy to fleeing instead of fighting. Fleeing would be good: she could fit in spaces where he couldn't go, and she was good at it. It would be a nice way to end this fight, but for that she really needed to understand she had no chance of winning against him.

He called forth his youki and at an incommensurable speed he followed after her. She had not yet hit the ground after her attack that he was upon her, striking her down right at the junction between the neck and the shoulder, at a spot he knew did not hold any vital organs but would bleed nonetheless. There was no way she could have seen this attack coming.

He was almost savoring his victory when his blade bounced against her armor. Even there, on that spot behind her back, where she could not see what was going on, her armor reacted and protected her. Sesshomaru blinked in surprise before he felt something snake around his ankle. While he attacked her, she silently sent her tail up his leg, and the small drop of yellowish liquid that hang at the very tip of the blade spoke volumes about her intentions: she lured him out by offering him her back while all along she intended to use her poison on him, to put him to sleep.

He jumped away before the tiny stinger hit his flesh, and took an instant to evaluate the situation. The girl was sly and was ready to play dirty, for she knew he would dominate her the instant she tried to face him honestly. She prepared for this fight in a way he had never seen before; after all, this whole body armor could have been used in previous fights if it was so efficient. But it was the first time he saw her use her clothes that way, and for the first time she was able to block an attack from a blind spot. He had to understand how, and regain his advantage. Once again calling forth his tremendous youki, he felt it swirl along the blade of Tokijin as it filled it with strength. The sword pulsed, happy to feel its master's youki accumulate inside it, and answering his call it let go of a wave of power directed toward the girl.

Kitana couldn't fight against the kenatsu and she was harshly hurled backward into the wall of the dojo, where she was crushed into the hard marble. Her mouth opened, apparently searching for air, and she fell to her knees. Defiantly, she rose and hissed toward her opponent, her eyeless face conveying her rage in a way Sesshomaru wouldn't have thought possible.

Once again, he used his terrible speed to appear right beside her and sent another wave of youki to her, sending her flying halfway across the dojo, landing atop one of the elevated arenas. He followed her in a jump, appearing at least twenty paces from her. He wanted to understand what was so different in her armor, and the time she needed to recuperate after his strike would be sufficient.

Eyeing her carefully, he immediately saw something that should have been evident to him right from the start. Her armor was thick and solid, but not everywhere: the ridges and lines of her true skin showed through the armor at many places. Her back beneath the spikes was exposed, as well as her abdomen, armpits and inner thighs. Instead of letting the armor construct itself as the fight went on to protect her instantly when she could feel an attack coming, she used it in a more traditional way by creating plates dedicated to withstand pressure and the cutting edge of a blade, in the areas she would need to expose to his strikes. Everywhere else she was vulnerable, but her strategy was good: she knew very well how fast he could be, and how she would be unable to see anything coming fast enough to protect herself. The enforced areas of her body, her legs, arms, skull, tail and back blades were all she needed to face him, for she could block everything with these. He would have to crush her with his youki instead of physical attacks.

His opponent had used the time he needed to study her defences to rise in a strange posture, her hands flat on the ground and her legs assembled under her. Her breathing was slow and deep, her focus intense. He took in that sight with pleasure; how could he have sparred against her so many times in the past and not see the beauty of her, the raw bestial strength that flowed in her feminine yet deadly body. When she lunged, he prepared to do the same, to clash with her in a combat of wills.

But his feet would not move and he barely managed to stay standing. Eyes opening up in surprise, he did not understand what was happening to him fast enough to react accordingly; he could only push her away with a blast of youki from Tokijin mere instants before she hit him, and once again the tip of her tail came too close for his comfort. As she plummeted backward, he tried to move his feet again, to no avail. Looking at them, he saw something incomprehensible: they were encased in the marble of the floor up to the ankle.

In a flash, comprehension came to him. She had used those fleeting moments of respite he unwillingly gave her while he studied her to call forth her powers over the ground. Unable to see her eyes, he had not sensed anything out of the ordinary in the moment she was in that weird stance, and she managed to turn the marble into a matter soft enough so he would sink into it, and then harden it back to its original state.

A rumbling sound reached his ears as he pondered her new strategy, and he raised his head just fast enough to see over a thousand of marble pieces hurled toward him, some as large as a plate. He inhaled sharply before fighting the urge to jump back, which he could not do in his state. Instead, he calmed down and called upon the youki he stored inside his blade, sending a wave of his demonic aura right toward the stones. They were reduced to dust right in front of him, creating a cloud of small particles that blocked his sight. Not wanting to be caught off guard a second time, he directed another blast of youki toward the ground near his feet, destroying an area twenty feet wide all around him to free himself.

She wanted to use her newly acquired power upon the ground against him? Fine, he thought, he would not give her the opportunity again. He jumped up, out of the smoke, and he created his signature cloud of youki below his feet, easily floating up above the dojo. He heard her hiss of frustration as she hurled herself inside the dust to discover her opponent was not there anymore.

Now truly smiling, in a way that sent chills through the bones of the youkai assembled at the periphery of the dojo and on the walls, he decided that he would force her to move from his high vantage point. Excitation was reaching new summits inside him, his lust for her growing at every move she made to counter him, and he was immensely enjoying the fight. In a large movement of the arm, he sent a huge blast of power toward the ground, totally destroying what was left of the arena they fought upon.

A small black form caught his eyes to the right, and he directed another attack that way, then another one. Kitana was zigzagging between his blasts, sensing the path of the energy mere instants before it went crashing down on her. The wicked smile on Sesshomaru's lips became larger as he saw her twist and turn under his power, her strong legs pushing her forward and making her turn on a dime depending on his whims. Soon enough, he had created enough craters in the white marble of the dojo that the place looked like the tortured landscape of a forbidden land; and to his dismay, the clouds of dusts that floated upon what was now a battlefield became deep enough to cover everything, efficiently hiding Kitana from his senses.

He strained his eyes in an attempt to find her; from his elevated place, the area to scan was not very large. When finally he thought he had pinpointed her location, he felt a terrible pain in both his legs, a pain that only torn muscles and tendons, only crushed bones could trigger, and he fell to his knees on his now flimsy cloud of youki. The creature was once again using her powers against him, but this time he was under the very first mind attacks he saw her make. Fighting back the pain with all his might, he remembered how easily she had crushed the hearts and brains of the swarm of lower youkai Kagura sent against her in that valley. She was not aiming for his vitals, only for his legs, but the pain was awful and he finally had to call upon his youki to heal his legs at the same time she destroyed them. In an attempt to stop her, he sent a barrage of needle-like kenatsu attacks on the dojo down below, trying to force her to move. It worked; he felt the pressure upon his legs weaken and then snap. She wanted to fight him up close and personal and he would give her what she wanted.

He landed on the destroyed floor of the arena, amidst a cloud of dust deep enough to make anyone cough and weep. Not wanting to be hindered by the dust, the taiyoukai chose to do something he seldom did; a wind of youki was created at his feet and quickly rose up, swirling around him as his eyes reddened and his mouth became jaws. Feeling the thrill of the transformation, he stopped it halfway, just as the twister he created had sucked up most of the dust, finally allowing him a good view of the damages he dealt to the construction.

Of the four elevated training arenas, only one remained slightly intact. The three others were piles of overturned white marble stones, cracked and some even pulverized by the sheer force of Tokijin's blasts. The barracks in the back of the area, where the trainees stored their weapons and could shower after their sparing sessions received a rain of pebbles and rocks and now resembled more a jumble of wood and stones than a building. Here and there, he could distinguish dark holes between the piles of marble, holes that could only announce an entrance to the underground maze that Kitana discovered the night of their arrival; she now had multiple ways out if she was wise enough to flee. The onlookers were reduced to a handful, mostly those who could climb the walls surrounding the whole area and watch the fight at a safe distance. Amongst them, he recognized the black and orange headed Yoko, accompanied by the marten. Returning his attention to his fight, he looked for his opponent.

There she was; standing proud and tall about five paces behind him, she was waiting for him. Her armor had changed in the moments of his halted transformation, and her beautiful face was now uncovered. The gaze she sent him was so intense it made his insides burn with desire; she was as aroused as he was, enjoying their fight as if she was only discovering who he was, who she had been travelling with for all these months. He returned the gaze and golden eyes clashed with each others. When he saw her slowly lick her lips, he was sure that somehow when all was said and done, she would be his. Nothing would stand in his way to possess this female, nothing could stop him. He would show her how strong he really was and she would bow to his power, in awe.

When she felt his intent to attack her, Kitana discreetly bowed before calling back the protection of her full body armor and adopting her crouched fighting stance. Once again, she resembled a nightmarish creature, ready to pounce on her prey.

Sesshomaru decided however that it was time to end the fight. Pushing as much youki as he could within Tokijin, he held it horizontally in front of him before he leapt in the air. She barely evaded his attack but could do nothing about the rotating kick that followed the sword strike and caught her side. Propelled in the air, she crashed down hard on the ground. He did not give her any time to recover and stand up though; the time for fighting cleanly was gone and as she tried to kneel, a second kick in the guts made her gasp as air was forcefully chased out of her. The third kick made contact with the small of her back, sending her crashing face first in the dirt.

Sesshomaru jumped up just in time to avoid a furious swipe from her tail, and from his now reformed youki cloud he eyed her carefully. She was looking hurt and defeated, but he knew the girl could be cunning and he stayed prepared. The decision was wise, for in a split second she turned from her hunched position to a full speed gallop on all four, in the direction of one of the holes. Satisfied by her choice but still wary that his moves could be misinterpreted by his mother's spies, he cut off her escape by appearing in front of her in a motion so fast she did not see it coming and sent her flying backward with a wave of youki from his demonic blade.

She did not act wounded this time and as soon as she touched the ground, she was already fleeing toward another hole she detected. Once again, he cut her escape short with a kick in the legs that made her stumble and loose her footing. She ended up on her back, facing him as well as she could in this position.

He would not let her get up yet; a last strike was necessary to prove his desire to kill her to the ones who would report his actions to his mother. One last time, he appeared in front of her, Tokijin raised up in the air in preparation for a vertical blow; and he struck.

To his surprise, instead of dodging the attack, she quickly sat up on her heels and attempted to block it with both her arms crossed in front of her, catching the blade in between the spikes that adorned the back of her forearms. In her low to the ground position, it was no easy feat and she had to withstand the full strength of his attack with not much support from her legs. Her arms flexed under the pressure, but she managed to hold on and avoid being hit. The taiyoukai's frowned upon her decision, but now was not the time to back off so he continued to push down on her arms. It was not long before she began to shake slightly, and in an effort to convince her to back away and flee for good, Sesshomaru let go of a kenatsu.

At point blank, his attack had a massive effect on her; the chunks of marble under her feet were reduced to dust in a circle six feet large. Her armor could apparently not take that much abuse and under his eyes, the sharp side of the Tokijin started to cut through it, gaining millimetre by millimetre.

Kitana reacted to this new development by reinforcing the armor at the point of contact with the sword. To do so, she uncovered her head and tail, as well as her abdomen, basically moving the matter that constituted the garment toward the most critical parts of her body: her forearms.

She fell down on one knee, but the gesture only strengthened her posture as she now had three points of support on the ground instead of only her two feet. She pushed Sesshomaru back slowly, meeting his eyes in the process. Gold melted into gold, the power of their mutual arousal only increasing as they competed in strength and endurance; physical power for Sesshomaru, will power for the other. Knowing she would be defeated but not wanting to admit it yet, Kitana started a rotating movement with her arms in preparation for her escape; she planned to remove the spikes that held the blade in place and let it slide down to the ground, but to do so she had to orient her arms away from her. The resistance she met was extremely strong, and as she pushed harder against the steel of the blade, she discovered her mistake.

Tokijin had become embedded in her armor before she solidified it. By pressing down with both arms she was imposing a double rotary movement to the blade in two opposite directions, and Tokijin reacted the way any sword would do under the same circumstances.

It snapped.

The weapon broke cleanly in two parts, the hilt with half of the blade still held within Sesshomaru's strong grip, and the other half falling to the ground where it landed with a metallic sound; a sound that resonated in the tense silence of the dojo as a thunderbolt in a calm summer afternoon.

Both opponents could not really understand what just happened, and they stayed immobile, staring wide-eyed at what was left of Sesshomaru's demonic sword. Suddenly, a swirling wind of youki came out from the two parts of the Tokijin and collided with the taiyoukai's puzzled form. All the demonic energy he had imbued into the blade during the fight came back to him in a rush, filling his body and fur pelt so fast he could not contain it anymore. His eyes quickly turned a deep crimson color and as his fangs elongated and the corner of his mouth turned into a hellish ear-to-ear smile, Kitana couldn't help but back away. Then, as a second immense demonic power came closer, she disappeared down one of the hole that had been opened during their fight.

Sesshomaru saw her take her leave, eyes wide and mouth opened in an emotion he couldn't define, but he could do nothing to reassure her; he was fighting against the return of his own youki, trying to channel it through his body and into his pelt in a way that wouldn't trigger a transformation. However, when another source of youki collided with his own and a humongous white paw sent him face down on the ground, he lost all control and felt the winds of transformation engulf him.

When the winds of the transformation calmed down, two enormous white dog youkai were standing in the almost demolished dojo, their red eyes locked in a battle of will, teeth bared in terrible snarls. The smallest one was the one who provoked the other and its longer ears and finer snout defined it as female. The largest one, going on only three paws, was the more aggressive of the two and his toxic saliva dripped to the ground while he growled menacingly, a cloud of acidic fumes now rolling at his feet.

Posturing, turning around in a half circle, both of them finally calmed down, the growling diminishing to a more tolerable level. Lips covered fangs, muscles relaxed somewhat and their hackles went down as they stood calmly, facing each other. Then, as in a common decision, they both became shrouded in a mist of youki and transformed back in their humanoid state. Mother and son were soon standing proudly in front of each other, their hairs and fur pelts finally descending and adopting their usual place around and over their shoulders.

"Son, you are waited for in the reception room; do I have to tell our guests you are remodelling my dojo, or will you honor us with your presence?"

Sesshomaru did not answer.

**SSSSS**

The forest before him was becoming less harsh to travel in, and finally he caught a much stronger whiff of Kitana's scent. She was there, a few paces ahead, and had been there for a moment if he could judge by the smell.


End file.
